Awakening
by LT Ashler
Summary: Shepard searches for an answer to the Galaxy's greatest threat, and it may come from a source as old as the conduit... M for Strong Graphic Violence, Brief Language, Thematic Elements, Ideologically sensitive material. Tali/MShep
1. Ep 1: Ch 1 : Guardian

**A Warning**: _This story contains extremely graphic depictions of Violence, occasional mild to moderate language, and thematic elements. One chapter contains explicit content. The story also features very strong religious themes. If you are offended by these, please don't read the story. Thank you._

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**Original opening notes**:

Shepard is an incredibly tough character to write, as each player has a different view of him. Even going full paragon or renegade, his persona is still somewhat up for grabs. For this reason, I've _largely_ scrapped BioWare's Shepard in favor of crafting my own. This Shepard is stalwart in combat and cares for his crew, but is still human. He has hopes and fears like anyone else (in his case, most of these revolve around the woman he loves, i.e. Tali.) If you go into this story expecting a canonical representation of the man, you're likely to be disappointed. I'm working on improving my character development, and this narrative is still very much story-driven, so bear with me.

The combat sequences are always a pleasure and a nightmare to write. Keeping them fresh and interesting is a welcome challenge, but communicating the horror that is war has a draining effect.

I am always seeking to improve my work; constructive criticism is welcome. If some part of the story is good, tell me _why_ it works, not just _that_ it does. If a segment needs improvement, PLEASE let me know! Thanks and enjoy the story.

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**Philippians 4:13 - **_I can do everything through him who gives me strength._

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**-A-W-A-K-E-N-I-N-G-**

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**Episode 1: The Ties that Bind**

**Chapter 1: Guardian**

* * *

"We'll fight and win without it, I don't put my faith in chance and I won't let fear compromise who I am." An air of finality laced the Commander's words as he again faced the console and inserted the remote charge that would start the reaction necessary to obliterate the base.

The Illusive Man's projected face contorted to a desperate grimace. "Shepard, think about what's at stake, about everything Cerberus has done for you! You-"

With a satisfied smirk, Tali severed the connection, abruptly terminating the man's rant. Shepard finished inputting the security codes in the detonator and slid the terminal back into the platform. No sooner had the aperture sealed than a colossal tremor echoed through the structure. A strange, synthesized noise resonated below the platform and Shepard's blood ran cold. _It was still alive?_

As if to confirm his fears, two massive 'hands' gripped the hexagonal railing surrounding the platforms, tilting the entire surface enough to catch Thane off balance.

The drell lost his footing and slid down the polished surface towards the edge. Shepard leapt after the drell, his rough armor slowing him as his teammate neared the end of the metal plating.

Thane caught the lip of the platform, struggling to maintain his grasp against its erratic swinging. For several torturous seconds, he felt his fingers slipping. Just before he fell, a strong hand gripped his wrist, pulling him up over the edge of the abyss. John grunted as he hefted the assassin onto the cold metal surface.

Even as he was pulled up, Thane looked back and caught the menacing glare of the Reaper 'larva' they had sent plummeting to the bottom of the station's central chamber. _It had climbed all the way back?_

Shepard caught sight of the abomination's three eyes as they drilled into his soul.

_**We offered you Godhood.**_

A final grunt sounded from the drell as his feet met the metal and he and Shepard bolted to the center of the platform. The two warriors leapt behind one of the low walls on the pad's surface, chased by a stream of blood red plasma and superheated metal.

Tali felt the heat from the Reaper's attack bleed over the lip of the wall. It was so intense that her shields actually started to flare. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Shepard holding the M-920 Cain, its muzzle shone with a pair of brilliant topaz spears that spun in ever faster circles. _Keelah! If he didn't fire it soon-_

Before she could even register what had happened, Shepard had hefted the weapon up and over the lip of the low wall, just before the 'nuke launcher' ejected its mighty payload. Shafts of white-yellow light trailed behind the projectile as it closed the distance with its target.

Tali shielded her face as the shot impacted, releasing its horrific destructive energy in a single, blinding burst. Even at this distance, even through her air filters, she could smell the charred metal and polymers that composed the Reaper's body as they boiled away under the Cain's fury.

The Reaper ejected another blast of its own, this time actually melting _through_ portions of the squad's cover.

"DISPLACE!" Shepard's order was met with an immediate response in the form of his two squad-mates scurrying for new cover. Tali vacated her position none too soon. One of the abomination's arms slammed into the panel they'd occupied only seconds before. Metal screeched at them as the panel sheared into dozens of fragments, yielding to the might of the sentient machine in a glittering cloud of metal and glass.

Shepard glanced from his new position long enough to get bearings on both Tali and Thane. The quarian crouched roughly eight meters left, quickly rifling through the options on her omni-tool, looking for something, anything to turn the tide back in their favor. Thane knelt nearly twice as far to his right, a biotic glow licking across his body.

The Commander shuddered as the Reaper screeched; its voice a metallic, synthesized howl that chilled him to the core. _Could nothing kill it?_ He risked another glance and was almost relieved to see the gaping cavity in what amounted to the thing's skull. He checked the Cain's ammo display, _Another shot could- 23%. The Cain had 23% charge, just enough to do… nothing._

_Lord, I'm out of ideas…_ Shepard's prayer was immediately answered as he caught sight of Tali popping from cover to shoot one of the collector drones that had joined the engagement, just as her shields finished recharging. "Tali! I need you over here! Now!" An acknowledgement light blinked in his HUD and the quarian raced over to him.

Before she had a chance to ask, Shepard presented the heavy weapon's power supply and turned his right shoulder to her, exposing the back plating of his armor. "Patch my shield output into the power cells!" He turned a little more. "THANE! Cover us! As much time as you can!"

Tali's head jerked for a moment as she realized what he was asking her to do. _Not a chance, John._ The quarian hastily opened her own shield generator and began feeding the power into the heavy weapon. Shepard's hand quickly found its way around her wrist.

"_My._ Shields. I can't let you throw your life away."

Tali offered him a steely glance. "Yours don't have the output this needs." _It was a lie; Shepard's shields had more than enough power to charge the weapon, but Tali'Zorah Vas Normandy nar Rayya would be damned if she let her captain, the only man she'd ever truly cared for, go unprotected while she traipsed the battlefield with a full-strength kinetic barrier._

"Shepard, we won't make it if this keeps up…" Thane's voice bore its usual calm, but the sense of urgency in his statement was still keenly present. Another searing attack from the Reaper slammed into the platform and the rancid smell of burning flesh filled the air; several drones had been unfortunate enough to be in the beam's path when it fired.

Shepard again checked the readout, the numbers were slowly, steadily climbing. 37%... 38... 39…

_Too slow!_ "Tali you HAVE to add my shields! We don't have time for this!"

Tali squeezed her eyes shut and sighed. She reached for the projector matrix on Shepard's back, felt the hard, angular casing through her gloves. Everything seemed to slow. She _could well be condemning this man to his fate. Charging the Cain this fast could short his shields, and she wouldn't have time to do battlefield maintenance._ Seconds later, the Commander's shield output was added to her own and the Cain's charge began to increase at an accelerated rate.

56… 58… 60… 63… 66… 69…

Shepard felt the vibrations as the Reaper loosed another jet of molten metal at their cover, nearly boiling through the wall. _One more shot from the Reaper would do them in, one more shot from them_ might _finish the reaper._

88… 91… 94…

_Come ON!_

100%! Shepard waited only for an instant as Tali disconnected the shields and closed the projector on his back. Ruby light reflected from the solid black surface of the platform. The Reaper was prepping another shot! Shepard crushed the trigger into the weapon's grip, prompting its firing sequence. Energy flowed from the power cell into the firing chamber. The red glow from the Reaper intensified as the illumination from the Cain's muzzle grew.

Shepard wasn't sure which fired first, but the Reaper's shot missed, slicing between the quarian and the Commander as they leapt apart. He could feel the heat bleeding from the molten slag even fifteen feet away.

Shepard caught sight of the Reaper larva as its grip on the railing failed and it slipped from the platform, the top half of its 'head' gone. The entire chamber seemed to tremble as the reaper exploded beneath them, sending a searing fireball that licked along the sides of the platform. Tali shouted something indistinct over the roar of the explosion and pointed over to the oval entrance. Shepard looked over in the direction she'd indicated.

A pair of drones flew towards them and the Commander realized only now that his kinetic barriers still hadn't recharged.

"Wonderf-"

The particle beam lanced across his armor, charring the metal and knocking him back. He smelled the stench of melting metal. Thane sighted on one of the collectors with his sniper rifle and sent a round sailing through its angular, T-shaped skull. Brown, chitinous shards flew in a conical pattern behind it. The second alien exploded a moment later as Tali loosed a combat charge powerful enough to cook its insides.

Four more of the brown aliens lit on the pad, one of them was covered in brilliant gold cracks radiating amber light. **"Your victory is hollow; you will die in this place!"** The voice reverberated though the cavern, echoing from the walls and shaking the platform.

Shepard jumped at the possessed collector and sent a boot into its chest, causing it to stumble back. The Commander's combat knife flashed out of its sheath and raked across the monster's chitinous skin. Rancid black gore coated the blade and spewed from the alien's throat.

John brought his arm up to deflect a blow from one of the other collectors, but the force of the alien's swing numbed the limb, causing him to drop the knife. He pulled the shotgun from his belt with his left arm and blew a hole through the creature's torso. The Alien staggered before collapsing to the ground in a puddle of its own gore.

The head of another collector next to him blossomed apart, courtesy of Tali's heavy pistol. Tiny fragments of the creature's hard skin ricocheted from his armor. A feeling of nausea washed over Shepard as the platform shifted again, this time moving back towards the entrance to the main chamber.

_Where was the fourth collector?_ John's question was answered as he heard a chilling scream from the other side of the massive hexagon. A spray of purple-red blood erupted from Tali's enviro-suit as the insectoid executed a savage swing across her gut with its razor sharp talons. Time slowed as the alien's claws severed muscle and cut across bone, spilling her blood across the platform.

"Tali!" Shepard felt all of the blood drain from his face as the young woman collapsed to the platform. He sensed, more than felt the knife as he picked it up and sent it spinning into the drone's eye. The collector sank next to its victim, clutching at the blade that had pierced its skull.

The next few minutes felt like an eternity to him. Somewhere in the back of his mind he realized he was carrying the woman he loved, unconsciously readjusting his grip as the blood on his suit made her slip in his arms. He could smell the coppery aroma of blood even through his helmet. It was everywhere.

Once during the run he glanced down at the quarian's limp body, instantly seeing her lungs moving weakly under the ribcage. His strength ebbed momentarily at the sight before a renewed vigor surged through his veins, _He would not, he __**could not**__, give up now!_

_Lord God, let her live!_ He prayed as he ran, desperately pleading for her survival.

Bullets sang through the air, glancing off his armor and burning past as he carried his precious load. "Just hang on," he heard himself say. "Just hang in there!"

* * *

Eleven days later:

Commander Jonathan David Shepard sat in the Normandy's med-bay with his head in his hands. He should have felt relieved, he had gone through the Omega-4 Relay, destroyed the collectors, and brought his entire crew back alive. Instead he felt exhausted, burned out, angry, and guilty.

Thane Krios sat next to him. A talented Drell assassin that had agreed to help in the fight against the collectors, Thane had helped him carry the only crew-member not to return from the battle unscathed. Granted, all of them had suffered cuts and bruises, but she had suffered far more.

John watched the young quarian behind the glass. She was sedated and asleep in the clean-room environment, but her suit and skin still bore the marks of the collector's vicious attack. Her stomach gently rose and fell; every time she drew a breath, he could see a different image of her spirited, energetic personality aboard the first Normandy.

Each expulsion of air summoned a darker memory, a recollection of the sadness borne by the more mature, disillusioned woman she had become after his death two years ago. She'd still been something of the same, upbeat person that he'd known two years earlier, but her thoughts were more rational and her voice bore a singular sadness that could only be attributed to having lost someone close to her.

Shepard clenched his jaw and forced back the tears that threatened to spill out. _He had to be strong, had to contain his emotions. Anything less could cost more lives, disrespect those he'd already lost. He wasn't on the battlefield; he should let his emotions out. Tali had told him as much, several times for that matter. 'It's not healthy to keep it hidden. Your men would want you to be happy, you did what you could for them, treated them like family.'_ He shook his head. _If he couldn't control them here, how could he do so when it really mattered?_

"You needn't blame yourself," Thane put a hand on the Commander's shoulder, breaking him from the debate raging in his head. "There was nothing you could have done."

Shepard tensed and very nearly sent a fist into Thane's chest. _Nothing!_ He collected himself and drew a deep breath. When he spoke, his eyes were closed and his voice little more than a whisper.

"There was plenty I could have done. I could have ordered her to stay on the ship, help Joker and EDI get the Normandy back online. I could have left her with the second fire-team. I could've…" His voice trailed off and he turned away, jaw clenched and tears leaking from his eyes.

"None of us can know what the future holds," the drell responded. "We must strive to live rightly each day to the best of our ability. You have accomplished more in your twenty eight years than I have in my forty." Thane paused, letting his words sink in. "You care for her but she has not gone to the sea. Don't make the same mistake I did with Ihrika. For her sake," he motioned to Tali as he stood, "don't give up."

Thane stopped partway to the med-bay's door and turned slightly. "If you need me, I'll be in life-support."

Shepard allowed small flurry of tears to roll down his cheek. He made no attempt to blink the others away. _At the moment, he didn't care if he let his emotions show, no one was around to see it, and it felt like his heart had been put through a meat grinder._ His thoughts drifted back to the night before the mission. Tali had come up while he had been reading, her demeanor initially timid and uncertain.

He could recall every word with perfect clarity.

"_So, I've taken some antibiotics, as, well as some, herbal supplements to bolster my immune system," She had taken the data-pad from his hands and set it gently on the desk beside him. "I was going to bring music, but I didn't know what you'd like, and I'm babbling like an idiot…"_

_He set a hand on her shoulder and smiled. A hint of sadness crept into his eyes and he shook his head. "I… we can't do this Tali, it's too dangerous."_

_Tali thought he was referring to her immune system. As a quarian, she had spent nearly her entire life in her environment suit. Like her fellow quarians, the lack of exposure to pathogens had caused her immune system to atrophy severely. Every time her suit was breached or opened outside a clean-room, she was at risk of getting a life threatening infection. Removing her suit, even in a semi-clean room environment could have disastrous consequences if she were unprepared._

"_I already told you, I've taken the necessary precautions."_

"_That's not it. I don't want you to get sick, obviously, but we… I can't, not now. If I lost you…" He looked down, trying to hide his face._

"_It's not like you're making me do this John, I want this, I _want_ to share myself with you." Her voice caused a wave of regret to wash over him. She lifted his chin to make their eyes meet. "We may not get another chance."_

_Shepard brought her in for a hug. "I know, and, I want to be with you. I've never been with anyone else, but it's…" Finally, the main reason for the decline surfaced, "We're not married Tali. I can't do that to you… I can't take that away from you-… …I can't take the most intimate, precious and sacred thing you have; it's something you should be able to share with your husband. I love you too much; respect you too much, to take that from you." He'd felt horrible. Even though he knew he'd done the right thing, nothing could have prepared her for his refusal._ It's for the best_, he'd reminded himself. _For her.

_Shepard couldn't imagine her thoughts afterwards. As she left the cabin her gait seemed subdued. Was she dejected? Angry? Heartbroken?_

If he had known Tali's thoughts afterwards, much of his anxiety would have evaporated.

_She had left the cabin depressed at first. She had felt sure that Shepard loved her. Was he just toying with her? No, she knew him too well. He'd meant every word. She went over the conversation in her mind. _Her head had been too clouded by confusion at the time to fully register his last few sentences, but now she could remember each syllable as if it were being spoken aloud._ 'I can't take the most intimate, precious and sacred thing you have….'_

She nearly wept at the realization._ No man had ever cared about her that much. Plenty of the younger quarian males had made advances on her, (they always received a cold refusal) but Shepard was different. He had seen her as a person, not an object or a prize; he wouldn't sacrifice her honor, her purity, for a few minutes of pleasure._

Shepard's mind was drawn to the present as the young quarian stirred. A small grunt emanated from behind her mask. It took Shepard a moment to realize that Doctor Chakwas was already cycling through the decontamination filter. Tali tried to sit up but the doctor put a hand on her shoulder. The quarian moaned and set a hand across her stomach.

"Try not to move, you've been badly injured."

"Shepard!" Tali gasped, the pain secondary in her consciousness. "Is he all right?"

"The Commander is fine, he's been watching you since we brought you here," Chakwas reassured her.

"What happened?" Tali whispered. "Are we on the Normandy?"

"Yes we are. You took a lot of fire on the collector ship. Thane and the Commander carried you back here" the doctor explained as she ran a scanner across Tali's battered frame. "I'll be back in a moment with some medications, lie still."

Chakwas cycled back out of the clean room and left the med-bay, giving Shepard a nod as she went. John took a moment to collect himself then stepped up to the glass.

"Tali?"

The Quarian turned her head. "John?"

"How are you feeling?"

"Not, too bad… All things, considered." He could hear the strain in her voice.

"Chakwas says you'll live, but," He choked. "She says you'll be back on your feet in a month or two." He couldn't bring himself to tell her that her odds of walking unassisted again were slim-to-none. She had barely survived the injury. Even after cryo freezing her to buy time, the quarian's chances of seeing the next sunrise had seemed slim.

Ironically, her survival was probably due in large part to Shepard's having declined her offer the night before the mission. The antibiotics and immune boosters in her system had been 'untapped' prior to the foreign contaminants that she'd been exposed to with the injury. Even so, between blood loss, tissue damage and infection, it had been nothing short of a miracle that she had survived.

"Tali, about what I said-"

Tali raised her hand and slowly shook her head. "It's okay." Her breathing was labored, but consistent. "It, took me a while, to realize what you meant. I want to thank you. I still want, you, to see my face, to share myself with you, but, it can wait. I'll wait."

She smiled behind the mask. "Besides, it probably, saved me, the antibiotics and such." Another pause. She noticed the glistening trails left by the tears on his face and surmised the rest. "John, it's not weak to have feelings. Let them out."

He offered a weak smile and watched as she peacefully drifted back to sleep.

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Revision notes:

**Thanks in no small part to all of my readers (in fact almost **_**entirely**_** in thanks to you all) much of my focus with the revision will be (and has been with the second part of this chapter) character development. I'll still be paying a healthy, (perhaps even unhealthy) amount of attention to the other aspects of the story, (plot, pacing, fight scenes, descriptions, etc) but I know that characterization is easily my weak-point and will thus be receiving the most attention.**

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Original Author's Note:

**I started by writing the second section but realized I needed to open with an action sequence to cement the story as being far more than just a Tali/Shep romance. (while their relationship will be integral to the story, it will by no means be the sole focus) I quite like the way the opening turned out, especially the knife bits (something tells me we'll be seeing quite a bit of those as the story progresses).**

**The recent additions and edits went a bit further into the horror of Tali's injury. The first version of the scene didn't communicate Shepard's agony over the event as powerfully as I would have liked, nor did it portray how close she came to death. The new edits have done just that, I may do more modification if I find the inspiration.**


	2. Ep 1: Ch 2 : Normandy

**Chapter 2: Normandy**

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The long, curved fuselage of the Normandy SR2 had taken a beating. The ship currently sat in dry-dock on the Citadel. John let his eyes wander from one docking clamp to another, musing at the soft blue light that radiated from each disk. Long, black scars marred the frigate's glossy white panels, indicators of the savage battle it had endured after crossing the Omega-4 Relay.

Shepard walked along the scaffolding, sliding his hand across the craft's smooth hull. As he neared the prow, he smiled in satisfaction at the new paint job. The Cerberus logos had been buffed off and replaced with plain white. Hopefully, the council would get the message; his ties to Cerberus were cut and The Illusive Man no longer held sway over the ship.

Several technicians worked their way up and down the hull, diligently cutting, welding, riveting and repairing the damaged plating. Inside the ship, Legion was directing electronics repairs, guiding the techs away from the more sensitive systems while dealing with these itself. John was initially concerned about giving the Geth unrestricted access to the ship's electronics, but EDI assured him that she could keep it from doing any harm.

Shepard rounded the front of the frigate and gazed at the ship head-on. The Collectors had certainly tried hard to destroy it, but repairs were coming along quickly. The chief mechanic assured him that the ship would be back to 100% in two more days. For all of their advanced technology, the reapers' minions had failed to inflict any permanent damage.

Granted, the shield upgrades and advanced armor plating had helped in that regard, but it was Joker that really made the difference. Shepard shook his head as he remembered watching EDI put the pilot through series after series of seemingly impossible flight scenarios, only for him to defy every obstacle thrown at him.

After the collectors had boarded the ship, EDI and Joker's interactions had become far less hostile, often going so far as to take on an amiable light. EDI would still run simulations for the pilot to keep him sharp, but his successes were no longer met with consternation on her part or gloating on his. _War can make allies of all but the most ferocious enemies_, John mused.

The Commander sighed and returned to the ship's interior. He waited as the cold white of the decon light dragged across his body, obliterating foreign contaminants on his skin and clothes. A soft whoosh announced the completion of the cycle and Shepard stepped into the CIC.

Despite the ship being in lock down for repairs, Joker still sat in the pilot's seat, his de-facto quarters. _It was where he felt the most at home,_ Shepard thought, _behind the controls of a starship._

The Commander made his way to the armory. Tali kept surfacing in his mind and he needed something to distract him.

* * *

John sat in the armory with the parts of his combat hard-suit sprawled out before him on the table. Long, black scars across his chest-plate indicated where the Collector particle beam had raked across the armor. The plating was only a few millimeters thick, but the alien weapon had failed to pierce it.

Shepard understood enough about armor maintenance to repair the damage. His shields, on the other hand, were another story. He had a replacement projector matrix, which proved easy enough to swap out, but the modifications Tali had made to strengthen his original shields months earlier were beyond him.

_Tali. There it was again. Even working on something so mind-numbing as armor repair, he couldn't keep her out of his head, couldn't stop worrying about her._ Anyone who saw him would have discerned his pensive mood, but his face hid the distress he felt within.

"Commander?"

Shepard started; he hadn't heard the door open, much less seen anyone enter. He looked up to find Yeoman Chambers hovering on the other side of the table, her arms crossed in an uncharacteristically defensive posture.

"Kelly." He said simply, acknowledging her presence.

"The crew is… worried about you."

Shepard huffed. "Don't wanna hear it Chambers." His tone was flat, devoid of emotion.

"Tali specifically." She fidgeted, running her fingers through her hair. It was obvious he wasn't in the best of moods for this talk.

He looked at her for a minute, then pretended to resume his futile attempt to understand the field projector.

"She says you've been blaming yourself for her injury."

That got his attention. _Tali knew? Of course she knew. She knew him better than anyone else ever had, himself included. Chambers probably saw it too, her prescience in all matters psychological was disturbing at times._ The Commander offered a resigned sigh.

"I can't go around playing guessing games Yeoman, if you have something to say, say it."

A long pause followed, broken only by the periodic click of various components as he worked through the sections of his armor, checking for damage.

Chambers could read the subtle signs that managed to sneak past his defenses; his focus on his task to the point of not noticing her entry, his slight tensing at the mention of Tali's wound. The tone of his voice was controlled, but at the same time unstable. _He felt guilty for having failed to protect someone he loved. That was not to say that Tali was the only person who'd been wounded under his command. The soldiers and civilians in his makeshift platoon on Elysium had been cut down rapidly, but this time was different. It was the first time since Williams' death on Virmire that someone _close_ to him had been nearly KIA. Ultimately, the best thing he could do would be to talk to Tali._

"She'll make it Commander, she was explicitly clear on that point. She has no intention of dying."

Shepard held one of his gauntlets at chest level, eyes working over the material. "She wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for me." He threw the glove on the table and walked out of the room as it slid to the floor.

* * *

Garrus was leaning against the wall in the forward battery housing with nothing to do. The ship was in lock-down until the techs had finished fixing the electrical damage, preventing him from working on the thanix cannon. _Not that it needed to be worked on; he'd already tweaked it so many times it was hardly the same weapon as when it had been installed._ The turian shifted his weight and leaned against the console, staring at the multiplicity of specialized components that allowed the weapon to operate on a frigate-sized vessel.

_Tali would have a field day optimizing the programs that coordinated the weapon's systems._ Garrus tilted his head. _Why was _he_ thinking about Tali? …Because she's less than a hundred feet away, laying in the infirmary with two slices in her gut. Other than Shepard, Tali was the only other person from the original Normandy that he'd actually gone on any missions with since the Collector attack nearly three years ago._

Vakarian noted a small, blinking light over on his private terminal. With a slight grunt, he moved over to the console and opened the message.

\_Sender: Unknown_

\_Recipient: Archangel_

\

\_Priority: Normal_

\_Classified: Personal_

\_Encryption key: Demael_

Garrus stopped reading and shook his head. _His contact network on Omega had dissolved when his squad bit the dust. Whoever sent this message had gotten hold of the old data and was using it to play some kind of sick prank. Or set a trap._ The latter thought piqued his curiosity. The turian ran through the possible countersigns for Demael.

\_Enter:…_

\_…Orchid_

\

\_Verifying…_

\_…invalid_

\

\_Enter:…_

Garrus clicked his mandibles and tried again

\_…Lotus_

\

\_Verifying…_

\_…Confirmed…_

\

\_Decrypting…_

* * *

Other than the faint illumination provided by the fish-tank, Shepard's cabin was dark. The Commander tossed beneath the sheets, images of the collector base scrolling through his mind. Sweat began to bead his forehead as the end of the mission drew near. He saw the collector over by Tali, swatting her pistol aside and following up with a savage swing that cut into her midsection.

He could hear himself screaming as a hand shook his shoulder.

"Shepard! Shepard wake up!" Tali hovered over him, her voice fraught with worry. John sat up, perspiration dripping from his face.

"John, what happened?"

He shook his head, trying to clear the images from his memory "I… nothing, just a bad dream."

"You were screaming," She countered, unconvinced.

"I, I saw you, on the Colle-" he stopped mid-sentence. Two large, purple-red gashes in Tali's enviro-suit were still pouring blood!

Shepard bolted upright. The bed was drenched in sweat. Was everything… He pinched himself to see if he had fully awoken this time. John swung his legs over the side of the bed and buried his face in his hands.

"EDI, what time is it?"

"0152 hours. Would you like a sedative Commander?"

"No, no thanks. I'll be fine."

"Very well Commander."

Shepard slipped on his casual fatigues and stepped into the elevator. After punching in the third deck, he watched the doors slide closed before allowing himself to contemplate the nightmare. This was the eighth time the dream had ravaged his thoughts, but the first he had woken from it.

The Commander slowly stepped from the elevator as the doors slid apart, allowing his eyes to adjust to the slightly brighter lighting on the deck. He should have accepted EDI's offer, but he had to see for himself that Tali was all right. Shepard passed into the med-bay and walked over to the clean-room that held the young quarian.

He watched her soft breathing for a few moments then lay down on the medical cot next to the glass. _Funny it took seeing her like this to calm him down._ He let his eyes search the floor, looking at nothing in particular. _That's what I'm fighting for,_ he thought as he dozed off, _not just survival, I'm fighting to keep others safe, to keep her, safe._

* * *

Shepard blinked as the lights in the med-bay hummed on. Garrus stood over him, a troubled expression in his eyes.

"Couldn't sleep either Commander?"

"Garrus?"

The turian looked over to Tali's form, still and quiet in her clean room.

"How's she doing?"

Shepard sighed as he sat up, shielding his eyes. "Stable. Barely. No progress as of yet. Chakwas says the injury affected at least three major organs."

Garrus shook his head. "She'll pull through. She's tough."

The turian sounded like he was trying to convince himself. Shepard eased off of the cot and stretched. _Sleep was not going to happen tonight._

"Did you have a reason for getting me up?"

Garrus shrugged. "Figured you'd already gotten your beauty sleep."

Shepard groaned. "Please, get to the point."

"Shepard, I got a message from someone on Omega, someone using my old intel network's codes." The turian began pacing the room as he spoke. "They seem to think there's a chance that one of my men, Seraph, is still alive. Shepard, I put all of my team in _body bags._"

The Commander rubbed his eyes for a few moments before responding. "I seem to recall you telling me that. Sounds like a trap."

The turian nodded. "It crossed my mind." The turian stopped his circuit for a moment and looked directly at the exhausted human in front of him. "Commander, if there's any chance that this lead is good… I have to know for sure. I need to go to Omega."

Shepard remained motionless, his eyes closed. "Repairs should be complete before tomorrow afternoon." He brought a hand to his forehead. "If you need to get there sooner-"

Garrus shook his head. "No. Eleven hours won't make a difference, not if it _is_ Seraph. He's good, Shepard, fought a krogan hand to hand and won."

The Commander's eyes drifted open, giving his friend a 'yeah right' stare. "I may be tired Garrus, but I'm not an invalid. Beating a krogan hand to hand?"

The turian crossed his arms. "Wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. You'd be floored by how fast he can move."

John released a sigh. "We'll get underway tomorrow after repairs are complete."

* * *

Revision note:

**Garrus' character in this chapter felt exceptionally close to Shepard's in that both of them felt the weight of command in the form of guilt, Shepard for Tali's injury, Garrus for losing his team. Ultimately, I ended up changing Garrus' side story substantially from the first draft of Awakening to alleviate this issue, and to make the events transpire in a more… fluid fashion. Also, for those of you who have been keeping up with 'Nolta', Seraph will be a bit more familiar…**

Original Author's Note:

**With this chapter, I hoped to get a little bit of Garrus' character fleshed out before the next section. The next two or three episodes will focus very heavily on his work on Omega and I wanted a little groundwork set up before I threw my readers head first into his history.**


	3. Ep 1: Ch 3 : Omega

**Chapter 3: Omega**

* * *

The space station called Omega floated deep in the Sahrabarik system. The asteroid had been hollowed out to house thousands upon thousands of aliens, all caught up in the daily struggle to survive. Garrus watched as the ring of red lights that encircled the station's girth grew brighter through the Normandy's forward view-ports.

Joker's usually lighthearted jabs had all but stopped after Shepard gave him the coordinates to the station. Garrus scanned the network of docking ports, looking for the one nearest his targeted destination. He tried not to pay attention to the pilot's grumbling as they neared the docking complex.

Dozens of craft of all makes and sizes wove around each other in a precarious bid for their chosen port. Generally, the larger ships got their pick, but occasionally, one of the smaller vessels would muscle its way in. Garrus noted two or three of the docking ports had been bent beyond use, likely the result of one of the larger ships deciding that its smaller counterpart had occupied its spot.

"There," He pointed to a black port not three hundred feet ahead.

"You really could've pointed it out sooner," Joker sighed and brought the ship back around to reach the turian's specified LZ, barely beating a smaller vessel to the spot.

Garrus ignored the comment.

"Shepard Commander requested that we accompany you, Turian Vakarian." Legion stated, entering the cabin.

Garrus flared his mandibles, a sign of agitation or concern. "Somehow I don't think they invite geth here on a regular basis."

_Why would Shepard send Legion to join him? The citizens of Omega were no strangers to fear, but the mere mention of the AIs had some inexplicable effect on nearly every sentient being._

More than 300 years ago, the Quarian people had created the geth as a race of domestic servants. Over the years, the geth had been modified to perform more and more complex tasks, eventually allowing them to reach true AI status. The Quarians had feared what they assumed would be an 'inevitable rebellion' and decided to act first. The resultant war had driven the Quarians from their home-world, forcing them to live aboard a migrating star-fleet.

Prior to the attack on Eden Prime, few people in the galaxy actually knew what any of the geth looked like, be they mobile platforms like Legion or simple repair drones. After the colony's fall, however, the Systems Alliance began an 'awareness campaign' detailing the AI's appearance and what little data was available.

Sovereign's assault on the Citadel prompted the council to launch similar programs. There were still large numbers of persons in both Citadel space and the terminus systems that were ignorant as to the Machine race in term of appearance, but by and large, most of the populace was learning what to look for.

The geth's reputation had been cemented in the galactic community as a heartless menace. _The decision to send the AI seemed stupid on the surface, but Shepard had proven himself time and time again. If he couldn't trust Shepard,_ Garrus figured, _he couldn't trust anyone._

"We are skeptical that invitation is a prerequisite for entry to this station." Legion's voice clicked.

"Never mind, just, stay behind me."

* * *

_Archangel, it's been a while, hope you're well. Saw a turian in Afterlife yesterday who looked remarkably similar to our mutual friend, Seraph. Just thought you'd want to know._

Garrus played the message over and over in his head as he stepped out of the Normandy's airlock. The moment his boots hit the bulkhead he was assaulted by the putrid reek of the station's slums. _Not even the queen of Omega can escape it,_ he thought dryly. The turian checked over his shoulder to confirm Legion's presence and then proceeded towards 'Afterlife', the bar from which Aria T'Loak ran her operations.

Legion remained completely silent as it followed beside him. Garrus couldn't even hear the whirring of servos from the AI. _Was it always this quiet?_

The turian's musings were interrupted by the sound of an angry batarian shouting at some random citizen. "NO! You _can't_ come in! Aria has made it very clear that-" the four-eyed alien caught sight of the geth and muttered some curse in his native tongue. Garrus watched as the batarian frantically tapped one of his wingmen's shoulders and signaled the man over to where the turian and AI were approaching.

* * *

Aria T'Loak smiled wryly. "I'm sorry, I thought you said a geth was on my station."

Moklan, her chief guard, shrank back from the biotic attack he was certain would soon follow. "It's with a turian, says his name is Archangel."

"Archangel, huh? You expect me to believe that?" Aria's body began to emit a faint glow.

The batarian cringed further. Normally, he was cool and confident, even intimidating, but in the presence of this Asari… "I swear it's true! Ask the guards at the door!"

Aria's eyes narrowed, her thoughts indecipherable beneath the calm, self-assured aura that perpetually hung over her face. "Send them in, but keep your aim on the 'geth'."

"As you command!" Moklan sped away, eager to be anywhere else, even if that was closer to the Geth.

Aria waited in her 'throne-room' tapping her foot. A commotion on the left of the bar confirmed her suspicions, the two outsiders were trouble. T'Loak lifted an eyebrow when she caught sight of the geth. _So, Moklan had been telling the truth_. It looked like the geth had taken a round, or five. _Impressive_, she thought, _guess they're tougher than I remember_.

Moklan led the two guests to the edge of the pedestal. "Ma'am?"

"Thank you Moklan" She tilted her head, a sign to keep weapons trained on the two individuals standing in front of her.

"This unit does not intend to exercise hostile action, it is here in a diplomatic capacity." Legion chirped as a rifle was shoved into its 'face'.

The guards jumped back nearly a foot. Aria was shocked. _Not much surprised her after all she'd seen, she'd even tangled with a few geth before,_ _but to hear one talk…_ Outwardly, the asari maintained her calm façade.

"So, _you're_ Archangel? I thought you went off with Shepard."

Garrus glanced to his right, hoping that the asari wasn't issuing some code phrase to open fire. "Yeah, I did. It was, interesting."

"I assume you're here on business? Something to do with the geth?"

"This unit is assigned to the turian as a diplomatic arbitrator, it is not here as part of a trade." Legion interjected.

"I wasn't aware the geth sent envoys." Aria replied. She'd already overcome her initial surprise at the platform's speech faculties, now curiosity fueled her words.

Garrus stuck an arm in front of Legion to silence it, which the AI proceeded to examine. Garrus noticed the AI's apparent fascination, rolled his eyes and lowered his arm. "I'm looking for someone."

Aria sank into the black varren-leather couch behind her, her mind shifting back to business. "Seraph?"

Garrus cocked his head, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. "How did you…?"

The asari grinned. "Blue suns tried to make nice with me after Shepard exposed their plot. Turned out they were trying to play me. They'd found out that Seraph was still… at large."

The turian finished the thought. "And they wanted him dead."

Aria nodded and motioned him to take a seat. "If you really want to find him, you'll probably run into the 'Suns a few times along the way, especially if you're still with Shepard. There was quite a stir among one of their newer cells when the Normandy docked."

* * *

The streets of Omega were not the cleanest place to be. Shepard dodged and wove through the crowd, trying to ignore the vile stench that curled from every corner of the station. _Tali's lucky that way,_ he mused, _she doesn't have to stop breathing if she doesn't want to smell anything. Granted, the flipside was that everything she heard, felt, smelled or saw was a synthesized recreation of the genuine article, processed through her suit's many computers. The quarians' environment suits were just as much prisons as they were outfits._

He briefly considered having sent Legion with Garrus. The AI's presence was something of a wild-card. This being Omega, there was a chance that the inhabitants would seek to damage or destroy the AI, but it seemed more likely that everyone would give it a wide berth; fear was the dominant religion aboard this station. Fear and hatred. Shepard had seen the hatred in the merc's eyes when they had gone after 'Archangel'; sending Legion should make them think twice before making any attempts on the Turian.

Still, Shepard had an ulterior motive, one he hadn't even told the geth itself. _The AI recorded everything that happened to it, and would thus be capable of recollecting the most minute details. Additionally, Legion's factual and logical approach to everything would allow it to analyze Garrus' actions in a way that no one else on the crew could. After the mission he'd debrief the geth to learn if the Turian had any, _instabilities.

_It wasn't that he didn't trust Garrus, heck, he'd give his life for the Turian, but something about the mission with Sidonis struck a chord in him. Garrus had always had a strong sense of justice, to be sure, but never a terribly strong idea of mercy. Hopefully, Legion could keep Garrus from doing anything rash._

John continued making his way through the crowd, careful to avoid contact with any vorcha or batarians. Neither was particularly fond of humans, especially the batarians, though the vorcha weren't exactly friendly to begin with.

"Watch where you're going!" the voice didn't belong to a batarian, and definitely not a vorcha. Shepard soon found himself face to face with a krogan.

"Sorry, won't happen again."

"Got that right." The krogan's guttural tone rumbled through the passersby. He parted the crowd on either side of him and wove his head back and forth.

Shepard considered drawing his shotgun, but dismissed the idea. _There was too much chance for collateral damage. The combat knife was a better option, if a bit less intimidating._

"You've got a quad, human." The krogan smiled as the blade slid from its sheath. John side-stepped as the massive alien lunged for him before sending an elbow into beast's spine, sending the creature sprawling to the floor. He took off down the hallway, _if he _had_ to fight the krogan, it would be on _his_ terms, away from civilians, and it sure as heck wouldn't be hand to hand. Garrus' friend could have that pastime all to himself._

John ran for nearly a full half-minute until he came into a deserted hallway. He checked the corridors nearby. The krogan had given up pursuit. _Good, now on to the_- WHAM!

Shepard flew across the desolated corridor. The impact alone nearly knocked him out cold. _How had? It didn't matter, the krogan had caught up with him, now he had no choice but to fight back._ The human's mind snapped into combat mode. A faint aquamarine glow surrounded the Commander's body, but his opponent didn't notice until it was too late. Shepard extended an open palm and the krogan went soaring back.

Before the beast could even get to his feet, he found himself moving skyward. The krogan glared at his foe, only now understanding his plight. "I had apologized, _you_ chose to attack me." The Commander's voice remained level. "I'm willing to forget that this ever happened, but if you attack me again, I _will_ kill you."

The krogan shook his head as his feet touched the ground. "You really _do_ have a quad."

Shepard watched as the bulky alien marched off, then checked his omni-tool. Garrus had given him the rendezvous coordinates for 1600, six minutes ago. He doubled back, breaking into a sprint. _Hopefully, the Turian would still be waiting_.

* * *

Revision Notes:

**Garrus' side story was originally connected to a particular plot point revealed later in the narrative, but the relationship was a mite too ambiguous. By the end of chapter 5, it should be obvious, al least to those re-reading the story (THANK YOU!), exactly what I'm referring to. **

**Also, I was never truly satisfied with Seraph in the previous draft, now, with the changes I'm making to his story, I have become immensely pleased with said character…**

* * *

Original Author's Note:

**This chapter introduced Aria and Legion, two of my favorite characters from ME2. I wanted to explore the effect that a geth would have on a major population center and this seemed as good a place any to do so. Something about Aria's self-assured character is fun to write; especially being able to shake her usually confident demeanor.**


	4. Ep 1: Ch 4 : Old Ties

**Chapter 4: Old Ties**

* * *

When Garrus left the 'Afterlife' bar with Legion, it was with a noticeably more energetic step. Not that he had been moving slowly before, but his movements were now more purposeful. He had a lead, and he was hell-bent on chasing it down.

_The subject of payment had never come up, something for which Garrus was thankful; he didn't have the kind of funds that would sate the asari had she decided to charge him for the information._

His AI companion had remained completely silent since the exchange with Aria. _It knew Garrus was looking for someone, someone named 'Seraph' but was unable to ascertain why. The conversation between Vakarian and T'Loak had been markedly vague on this point, causing the geth to assume the reasons were already known to the asari._

Garrus eyed his companion as they walked. He still didn't trust Legion completely, and the silence from the AI didn't help.

"Is there a reason you don't talk much?" He asked.

"We are always talking. This unit prefers to communicate through direct digital transfer, which is incompatible with your organic hardware." The platform was silent again for a minute, re-processing Garrus' question _organics often had underlying meanings behind their words_. "If you have a query, it would be more effective to voice it plainly."

Garrus sighed and let the issue drop, they were nearing the rendezvous. He checked his Omni-tool. 1604. The Turian chided himself and quickened his step, picking up speed when the meeting point came into view. Garrus involuntarily stopped when he noticed that the Commander was not there. _Shepard was_ never_ late._

* * *

Shepard rounded the corner to the meeting location at a fast jog. His quickened pace hadn't drawn much attention from the locals; they'd grown used to seeing fights in the streets, so a lone jogger was no-one's concern. As he came past the eastern wall, Shepard felt a two-fingered hand grab his head and cover his mouth. _The Krogan? No, the fingers were too slender. Either a turian or quarian, too strong to be a salarian._

He felt a pistol press against the small of his back and decided enough was enough. Shepard rolled to the left, bringing his arms behind him to grab the firearm pointed at his spine. With a sharp twist, the weapon left his assailant's hands and found itself pointing at a blue-armored turian. The whole movement lasted less than a second.

Shepard lowered the pistol. "Seriously Garrus?"

"Sorry, I'm a bit tense." The turian shrugged.

"Could've fooled me." Shepard snorted, handing the weapon back. "Sorry I'm late, I had a run in with a krogan. So, find anything?"

"I think so. Aria put me in contact with one of her lackeys. He's due to meet us in the slums in an hour and a half." Garrus stowed the pistol and took the lead.

* * *

The slums were hardly recognizable to Shepard. The last time he'd been here, the only inhabitants were either mercenaries or corpses. Now the streets were bustling, a beehive of activity. The scars from the fires that had been lit to burn the bodies of the dead remained, but were now obscured by the throngs of pedestrians. Small food stands and souvenir stall merchants hocked their wares as the station's countless inhabitants filtered past. Despite the singular stink of the place, Garrus found himself pleasantly surprised by the aroma of several familiar turian dishes.

He quickly shook the thought of food from his head and watched the speeders race by overhead. _He was here for a reason._ Each one seemed identical to the last; splotched red or black paint clung to the rusted metal chassis. A lone airfoil was attached to the right side of each craft, balancing the oddly shaped vehicles with an auxiliary power source.

The incessant drone of the speeders' engines made the already crowded streets feel that much more claustrophobic. The turian again found himself wondering how anyone could live here without going completely insane.

During his work on the station, Garrus had always been too busy watching for the next knife or gunshot to be bothered by such trivial annoyances. He was still alert now, but the bustle of merchants and civilians seemed more substantial than it had been in the past.

Ironically, Legion's presence was perhaps the sole mitigating factor in all of this. Residents and visitors alike gave the geth and its companions plenty of room. Not all of them recognized the platform for what it was, but the fact that those who did veered away prompted others to the same course.

Garrus kept glancing at the skyway, hoping to catch a glimpse of the speeder that would be carrying Aria's contact. The trio proceeded down the winding pathways through the crowd. Then he saw it. One of the walkways above the main street had been modified to allow speeders to dock along the railing. A pale tan vehicle with Omega's trade symbol emblazoned on the bottom rested alongside the path.

Garrus pointed at the walkway above them, indicating the craft. Shepard nodded and the group changed course. A series of convoluted stairways led the team up through the slums' 'living establishments' and past several disgruntled batarians. By the time the final door opened even Shepard was winded.

A lone turian stood propped against the speeder's windshield, looking none-too-pleased about having to wait for some ex-vigilante and friends.

"Gola?" Garrus inquired.

"Yeah, I'm Gola." The other turian unlaced his arms and stood to face them. "So, there really is a geth on Omega. I take it you're Archangel?" The Turian's face-paint glistened red against his cartilaginous skin. He waited for Garrus to nod before continuing. "Aria told me to take you to your old hideout, says it's the best place to start looking. Y_o_ucan come along," he said, pointing to Shepard, "But the geth stays."

"Legion's with me." The Human countered. "We aren't going anywhere that the geth can't."

"Then I guess your friend doesn't get to meet his target." Gola stared at the AI.

Garrus stepped forward "I was told it'd be given clearance."

"By who? Harrot? C'mon!" Aria's agent crossed his arms.

Vakarian tapped his foot. "We could discuss this back at Afterlife, tell Aria you're unwilling to comply with her orders."

Gola huffed then unlaced his arms. "Fine."

* * *

When Shepard, Garrus and Legion entered the old mining complex, the place was empty. Pale gray light filtered down through the stale air, creating shafts of cold, top-lit dust. Centuries-old scaffolding hugged the rough walls, relics from the brief mining blitz that had hollowed out the asteroid-turned-space-station. After the majority of the rock's element zero deposits were depleted, the mining interests had abandoned it, leaving behind the infrastructure that had become the bustling space-metropolis known as Omega.

Garrus advanced slowly, his sidearm drawn, carefully scanning the corners in the low-light. The group soon came to a large, square room. The ceiling had sunk to a mere four meters, supported by twelve pillars along the perimeter, each about two metersin from the walls and two and a half meters apart. Several old beds dotted the edges of the room, sandwiched between the walls and pillars. None of them had been used for nearly a year. Shepard noticed the turian come to an abrupt halt.

"You all-right Garrus?" The Turian felt a hand on his shoulder.

"This is where my team-" The memories came flooding back. _He could see Sidonis resting against the now overturned desk in the back corner of the room, chatting with another of the turians in the rag-tag vigilante squad. Seraph sat quietly on his bunk, humming a nondescript tune._

Garrus' mandibles flared. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "I- I'm sorry, just a little surprised. I didn't expect the place to be so- clean."

Shepard played his flashlight around the dimly lit walls, revealing clusters of bullet holes. Some had blood stains. "This was your hideout?"

Garrus nodded. "Yeah, my team was ambushed here." The Turian walked up to one of the bullet-riddled pillars and let his hand trace the pock marks in the old stone. _High-velocity slugs cut through the air, blue-white streaks left in their wake. Michael's torso jerked with each impact, but the soldier was already dead._

"By the time I got back from my 'meeting' with Sidonis, only two of them were left."

Shepard watched as his friend's eyes followed a stitch-line of bullets, ending in an old, blackened stain.

_Rhone had tried running from one pillar to another, but the assault rifles had caught up to him in between._

Garrus shook his head and continued to search the room for signs of inhabitance. He was just about to give up when he caught sight of a black weapon locker. The metal on the case was clean, well kept, and free of the dust that seemed to lay in an oppressive blanket over the rest of the room.

Another memory came to the fore and Vakarian shifted the locker, revealing a crater in the wall with several fissures radiating from its center.

_The grenade went off with a dull thud, spraying chunks of insta-crete and rock from the corner. Waric screamed as a fist sized block of stone flew into his shoulder, crushing the scapula and ribs and sending jagged shards of bone knifing into his vitals._

Garrus sank to his knees and squeezed his eyes closed. A moment later, he released a primal scream of rage, tilting his head to the ceiling and holding his arms out at his sides. _So many had died here, and for what?_

Shepard watched, his heart going out to his friend. _Garrus had lost his entire team in a matter of minutes. Men and women that he'd known for weeks and months. The losses on Elysium, a handful of frightened civilians and aimless marines, seemed to pale in comparison to the turian's loss._

"Shepard Commander, new contact!" Legion interrupted

"Garrus Vakarian, or is it still Archangel?"

Shepard watched a tall, black clad turian enter the room, his gait marked him as strong and quick, despite the ancient war-scars on his face.

Garrus nearly stopped breathing at the sight of his old teammate. "Seraph?"

The old turian waved his hand dismissively. "It's just Tokus now; I don't deserve that title anymore."

"What are you talking about! You saved-"

Before Garrus could finish his comment, the room erupted into a hail of gunfire.

* * *

Revision Note:

**Adding flashbacks to the ambush helped set the tone for the next chapter. It was something I had wanted to do with the original story, but couldn't quite get down the way I wanted. This time, for whatever reason, the ideas just came naturally.**

* * *

Original Author's Note:

**I'm looking forward to the next chapter, not so much for the fight scene, but for a little idea I have in the works. Nothing **_**super**_** special, so don't get worked up.**


	5. Ep 1: Ch 5 : Seraph

**Chapter 5: Seraph**

* * *

Bullets flowed into the chamber in a torrent of accelerated metal. Seraph had been just far enough inside the door that the initial shots had missed him, giving him time to scramble to cover before the fullisade poured through. Garrus and Legion had already drawn their sniper rifles by the time the enemy barrage reached its full volume.

A moment later, the shots stopped and an eerie silence settled over the room. Shepard's mind had snapped into combat mode, eyes snapping from one pillar to the next, checking for movement. He could see the black silhouette of Seraph crouched behind one of the supports, seemingly unarmed.

The tension mounted as the seconds ticked by. _What were they waiting-_ The Commander heard the ringing of metal against stone as a trio of flashbangs were tossed into the chamber and instinctively covered his eyes in the crux of his arm as they blew. A split second later, the first merc tentatively poked the muzzle of his rifle through the doorway.

Tokus had been waiting patiently for exactly this. No sooner had the merc's hands come into view that the turian grabbed the butt and body of the weapon and swung it upwards into the mercenary's face. The wounded soldier cried out and released his grip on the weapon, bringing his hands to his nose.

Tokus grabbed the man by the neck and pulled him to his chest, simultaneously lodging the rifle's barrel behind the man's ear.

No more motion appeared in the doorway and it only took Shepard a second to figure out what was going on. "GET DOWN!" Seraph, Shepard, Legion and Garrus all dropped to the floor as a colossal explosion thundered through the room, spraying dust, glass and chunks of cement into the air. One of the corner pillars vaporized in the middle as the overpressure wave pulverized the stone.

Four mercenaries stormed in through the breach while three of their companions entered from the doorway. Tokus pushed away from the wall, sliding across the shattered rock and glass like ice. Blood glinted on his assault rifle's barrel as he sprinted across the room's open center, barely outpacing the streams of gunfire behind him.

Legion and Garrus each sighted on a separate mercenary and loosed their weapons. The soldiers' kinetic barriers failed before the rounds had expended even a fraction of their energy. Four mercs tumbled to the ground as the high-powered sniper weapons over-penetrated their initial targets and drilled into the skulls of the men behind them.

Seraph dove in behind a pillar, joining Shepard. "So, you often get into these kinds of messes, or did Garrus drag you into this?" Shepard was too busy firing his shotgun at the last merc on the left side of the room to respond.

"Shepard Commander, more contacts inbound."

Garrus' Mattock Heavy Rifle silenced the two remaining mercenaries on the right of the room just as a fresh set poured in. _How many did they have?_

Shepard sighted down the barrel of his shotgun and discharged a spray of tungsten at one of the advancing soldiers who had yet to reach the room. Even at forty feet away, the scattershot caught the assailant full in the front, crashing through the man's kinetic barriers and armor like they were rice paper. The soldier collapsed to the ground, a dinner-plate sized cluster of bloody holes in his chest.

Garrus and Legion had both taken to using their assault rifles on the enemies pouring through the breach, targeting individual soldiers in tandem. The concentrated fire from a pair of heavy rifles shredded the incoming assailants at first, but the odds were quickly becoming grim. The musty scent of mold and dust had already given way to the reek of blood.

Tokus' rifle chirped and spat out its thermal clip; the heat sink was spent. "I'm dry!"

Almost without a second thought, Shepard drew his Tempest SMG and handed it to the vigilante. The old veteran's eyes widened momentarily at the sight of the weapon. Even in the heat of battle, he could appreciate its quality.

"Shepard, there's too many! We can't hold this position!" Garrus called over the gunfire.

The Commander was keenly aware of their predicament. The mercenaries had taken cover behind the pillars, and, though their reinforcements had stopped, they outnumbered the squad three to one.

Making matters worse, there were two of them behind each of the forward six pillars, providing them with overlapping fields of fire. _Pinned._ The single thought ran through Shepard's head as the mercenaries' weapons began chipping away at the support behind which he'd taken cover.

Tokus emptied the magazine in the SMG and caked for more ammo. Without breaking his aim, the Commander reached to his belt and produced a pair of thermal clips. The turian noted a blue-green glow beginning to work its way across the human's arm and a brief recollection of Korlus and the Citadel flashed through his mind.

The memory costed him. As Tokus paused in reaching for the clips, one of the mercs saw an opportunity and loosed a barrage of fire at the exposed limb, cutting it to ribbons. The turian roared in pain just as Shepard loosed the shockwave.

The brittle stone of the pillars had taken enough punishment from dozens of bullets and were all too willing to fly apart in clouds of concrete and dust. Several mercs screamed as they were violently thrown aside, impacting the walls and ceiling. Several of the soldiers left long streaks of blood where they hit. One of the warriors on the other side of the room proved unfortunate enough to get blindsided by the biotically propelled form of one of his allies.

The wet thunk that sounded when the two bodies collided was enough to make another merc's stomach turn.

A blue holodrone zipped onto the battlefield. _Legion's Combat drone._ Shepard realized. _They had to move now, while the mercs were distracted._ "DISPLACE!" The Commander hefted Seraph's body over his left shoulder and sprinted for the exit.

"Ignore the turians! Shepard is HVT!" One of the merc called.

"Joker! Get the shuttle to our position STAT!" Assault rifle fire chased him all the way to the threshold, chipping away at his shields. The Commander felt a round pierce his ribcage, followed by another as he passed through the exit. The adrenaline coursing through his veins helped to numb the pain, but Shepard knew that even with the medi-gel injectors in his suit he wouldn't be able to run much longer.

Then he saw the YMIR mech. Most soldiers would have despaired at the sight of the heavy weapons platform, but Shepard saw an opportunity.

"Legion!" He gasped, pointing at the mech. "Hack it!"

The mech's chain gun had just started its spin up cycle when a sheen of orange light began to weave across its armor. Legion sprinted up to Shepard. "Requested target overridden."

Shepard could hear the screams of the mercenary troops behind them as the YMIR cut them to ribbons. Tokus' breathing seemed more shallow. Blackness began to creep into the corners of Shepard's vision as the bullet wounds continued to seep blood. _Just a little longer_, he told himself. _Just hang on_

* * *

Tokus had bled out. The medigel that Garrus had administered had proven too little too late. The former specialist's wounds were simply too severe to be stanched by a simple application of 'goo skin'. Garrus stood in the med bay across from Mordin as the salarian worked over Shepard's unconscious form. The Commander had passed out less than a minute before the shuttle had arrived to pick them up and Tokus had died minutes later, a remorseful expression in his eyes.

"_I'm sorry Garrus, I wasn't there… during the ambush… might have… saved-"_

Right now, the ex-vigilante was too burned out emotionally to feel much of anything shy of anger. _One of his best friends, his trusted Lieutenant, his second mentor even, had died from a simple loss of blood. Not from a krogan's fist clenched around his throat, not from a knife in the chest, not even from a headshot. The man had bled out!_

Garrus glared at his hands as if they were somehow responsible for his friend's death, his breath coming in shallow, silent pulls. He looked past the salarian and saw Tali's still form, quietly drawing air in a fitful doze. So this was what Shepard felt like.

"Two bullet wounds, below thoracic cage, minor perforation of descending duodenum. Non-life threatening, estimated three week recovery." Mordin's stilted outburst caught the turian by surprise, eliciting a more or less automatic verbal reflex.

"Did you swallow a dictionary?" Garrus' joke was meant to ease his own mood, but the delivery proved too flat to be of any effect.

Mordin ignored the jab and looked back at Tali. The young woman had begun to stir as the salarian and turian's voices pierced her veil of sleep.

"Apologies, have topic to discuss with Tali'Zorah, excuse me."

xXx

Tali saw the lights in the med-bay shining through her mask. She could hear voices. Her insides still burned from the collector's attack, but at least she was conscious. A white and red lab-coat by the bed next to her caught her attention as Mordin Solus' unmistakable voice chimed though the audio filters in her helmet. "Two bullet wounds, … cage, minor perfor… …scending duodenum. Non-… …ning, esti…week reco..." She wasn't fully lucid yet and couldn't quite make out what was being said.

Garrus stood next to the doctor, listening intently as Solus rattled of a series of possible complications, dismissing each in turn with a few quick observations. _Who was he talking about?_

"…logies, have topic to …uss with …cuse me."

Garrus moved to leave the room, briefly meeting her gaze; a look of immense fatigue permeated his features. The doors slid shut and Tali looked back to see who Solus had been talking about. _John! Keelah! What had happened?_ Tali tried to sit up, but was swiftly reminded of the injury _she_ had sustained and eased back with a long, controlled sigh.

"Rest Miss Zorah, Shepard's recovery certain, not mortal injury." Tali's mind was racing too fast for her to pay attention to the salarian. _John, please, don't die on me! Not now! Not like this!_

Tali tried to muscle past the pain but nearly passed out as fire seared through her gut. Mordin turned to her and spoke through the clear panel. "Please remain calm, Commander will heal, no permanent damage done. Have something for you. Wait here, oh, apology, no offense intended, be right back."

It only took a few minutes for the doctor to return to the medical bay with a small metal case. Mordin cycled through the decontamination unit and presented the box to her. He anticipated the question before she had a chance to ask it.

"Already stated, Shepard will recuperate. Back to reason for visit, Have been working on krogan genome, isolated regenerative DNA sequence."

"What does that have to do with me?" She struggled to keep the Commander out of her mind.

Mordin held up his hands, "Have modified strain to match quarian physiology." He waited a moment to let her soak in the information. "Created retro-virus to add regenerative strain to your own system. Could allow tissues faster recovery, working on versions for rest of crew to use if successful."

Tali wasn't sure if she'd heard correctly. "Are you saying you could bolster my ability to heal?"

"Yes. Krogan regenerative properties impressive, virus not perfect, not as potent, but might speed up healing properties- permanently of course, could indirectly improve immune system as well." Mordin stopped for a moment, inhaling deeply through his nostrils.

"Also, some _re_-write of immune system, strengthened directly. Am aware of your emotional attachment to Shepard. Not complete re-write, will still have to wear environment suit, but should allow more frequent, prolonged removal. Should allow more frequent… _stress release_ with Commander."

Tali almost chuckled, he was so factual, unabashed, to hear him use a euphemism struck her as funny. "We never actually…" she realized what she was about to say and stopped.

"Apology, did not mean to assume," the Salarian raised his hands in deference. "One more issue, unlikely, but always possibility. Virus could cause collateral tissue damage, also permanent."

Tali weighed the facts. "_How_ _unlikely_?"

"One chance in eighty-five point six three thousand. Your decision."

It seemed too easy. Krogan-like regenerative capabilities? An enhanced immune system? All for a near inexistent chance of tissue damage? Tali nodded towards the salarian. "Do it."

Mordin nodded and drew a syringe from the case. "Likely to experience soreness for a few days after injections, initial treatment will take five days. Will monitor for adverse effects."

* * *

Revision Note:

**Scrapping the original fight scene was done out of necessity. Changing Seraph from some nondescript batarian to a better known turian was tough, especially because I knew that his cameo appearance would be simply that, a cameo, and one that ended badly. Killing the character proved to be an emotional sledgehammer along the lines of reading "Borrowed Time" by CC or "Reflection" by DA. To any of you who hate me for killing off Seraph, be assured I hate myself for it more.**

Original Author's Note:

**Not really a whole lot to say here, many writers have tinkered around with the idea of retro or 'rewrite' viruses in other sci-fi works. Mordin's genetic and technical expertise seemed the optimal place for me to use it for my own reasons. (Yes this was the 'special something' I mentioned in the previous chapter's end-note.)**


	6. Ep 2: Ch 1: Correspondence

**Episode 2: Hunted**

**Chapter 6: Correspondence**

* * *

Tali rubbed her shoulder after closing the injection port on her suit. _Mordin hadn't been kidding when he'd said that the injections would cause soreness. It felt like she had run a marathon-… with her arms._ Both Chakwas and Mordin had kept her under constant surveillance since administering the first dose of the retro-virus. So far the only side effects were a ravenous appetite and the expected dull ache throughout her muscles that accompanied the treatment.

She understood the basic principles of how the treatment worked. _A normal virus operated by splicing its genetic code into a target cell, causing the cell to replicate that code and produce more viruses until it died, usually from filling itself with the offending pathogen._

_The retro-virus spliced the regen-sequence into its target cell and effectively 'died', leaving the altered cell to go about its normal business. Since the virus didn't get replicated, multiple doses of the treatment were required to obtain a self-sustaining saturation. Eventually, enough of her body would be altered that any part of her could regenerate non-fatal damage in minutes, provided the wound wasn't too severe. Not quite as fast as a krogan, but still a welcome gift._

After the first day, the repurposed genes had begun to take their effect. She'd noticed a substantial decrease in the pain from her wound, but dismissed it as a placebo-effect. Mordin, on the other hand, had been far more optimistic. He'd run several tests over the past five days to check for any abnormalities and found that much of the scar tissue that had been forming was reverting to a healthier state. The quarian's muscle tissue had been affected as well, increasing in density by nearly three percent.

Tali was shocked to find the injuries nearly gone by the fifth day. Chakwas had accompanied her from the medical bay for a few hours to walk around, never leaving the young woman's side. The quarian found herself stiff at first, but was soon back to her usual mobility, if a slight bit slower. She'd even visited engineering long enough to say hello to Gabby and Ken, both of whom were pleasantly surprised to see her out of the med-bay.

The quarian briefly stopped at her work station to check for any messages. Several letters had been sent to her terminal at the drive-core. Tali copied the notes to a data-pad and returned to the infirmary with the aid of the doctor. After laying back down in her clean room, Tali flipped through the messages.

Most were what Shepard called "spam" but a few were from the fleet. One in particular held her interest.

_._

_Sender: Migrant Fleet Admiralty Board, Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay_

_Recipient: Tali'Zorah vas Normandy_

_Child, I was recently given legal right to examine the documents belonging to your __father. While reading that correspondence which was important to the fleet, I decided __against reading anything personal in his log. Some of those were addressed to you __directly, letters that he never finished or was unable to send, you will find them __attached below._

_One note in particular struck my eye. Below is a communication sent to your father __from Commander Shepard, your captain. I have not read it, so I cannot guess as to its __contents, but I thought you might wish to check it. Be well._

_-Shala_

.

Tali scrolled down through the message checking the list of correspondence that Shala had compiled. Most of the letters were updates on her father's research needs; what parts she should look for, systems clarifications, and the like. Two or three notes were horribly disorganized, but what little she could dissect from them seemed to imply that Rael was trying to apologize for something.

At the bottom was the message her aunt had mentioned. She briefly contemplated not opening the link, but something about it compelled her. _She had to see what was inside._ Butterflies danced in her stomach as she began to read.

_._

_Sender: Commander John D. Shepard, Spectre, Alliance Military, _

_Recipient: Migrant Fleet Admiralty Board, Admiral Rael'Zorah vas Rayya_

_Admiral, in regards to your recent communication regarding Tali'Zorah's transfer __to the Normandy: I am well aware of Tali's importance to the migrant fleet and to __yourself. You needn't worry about the crew in regards to her safety, I run a tight ship __and will not permit any violence or abuse (verbal, physical or otherwise) against her __person. Please accept that she will be well supplied and protected._

_In regards to our earlier discussion: I have indeed developed strong feelings for __your daughter. If you truly wish that I not act on these feelings, I will honor that. Take __note, however, that my doing so is out of respect for her and her respect for you, not __for your sake._

_I have no intentions of violating her honor; such action is against my personal __values and beliefs. Intimacy of that nature is a sacred action and has no place outside __of the marriage-bond. (I believe the term among your people is a Khelat-Union?)_

_-Respectfully, Commander John D. Shepard_

_._

Tali almost felt guilty reading the John's personal message to her father, but they were now hers by legal right. After a brief internal debate, she continued on to the attached response.

_._

_Sender: Migrant Fleet Admiralty Board, Admiral Rael'Zorah vas Rayya_

_Recipient: Commander John D. Shepard vas Normandy, Spectre, Alliance Military_

_Commander, I apologize if my words in our previous discussion came across __as hostile. Tali'Zorah is, as you know, my only child, and is thus very dear to me. It __has been a difficult season for the quarian people, between the attack on the Idenna __and the losses in the Sigma-23 system, we have suffered a great deal of loss._

_My attitude towards you was reprehensible and I again request your forgiveness. I __do not forbid you to pursue a relationship with Tali, but I request that you only do so __if she makes it _explicitly_ clear that she desires it. Incidentally, the union is __called a Khelat-Bond._

_-Admiral Rael'Zorah vas Rayya_

_._

The Quarian's heart pounded. _Her father had all but blessed the relationship! Any outsider reading the letters would have taken the admiral's words as a grudging concession, but Tali knew her father well enough to understand what was really being said._

She looked around the room, as if to find someone to share the news with, and found her eyes settling on Shepard.

John lay in the cot next to her clean room, his bare chest rising and falling steadily in a fitful sleep. _Keelah_! She thought, _He's perfect!_ Tali chided herself and looked away before a light stirring brought her attention back to him.

"Hey beautiful," he smiled. "Sure you should be sitting up? Coupla days ago Chakwas said you'd be laid up here for another four weeks minimum."

"I, um, your chest, er, well…" the young woman fumbled. "Mordin made a breakthrough," She finally managed. "What, um, happened to you?"

Shepard could barely contain his laughter. "Garrus and I went looking for one of- Ah!" he winced as his bullet wounds reminded him of their presence. "-For one of his team on Omega. _Iiiit_ didn't go too well."

"You don't say," Tali quipped, her composure returning.

"Took two rounds below the lung. What're you reading?"

"Oh! Um nothing! Well, not _nothing_, just some, old letters."

To her relief, he didn't pry any farther, but nodded and laid back down. "So, what kind of breakthrough are we talking about? Some new regenerative drug or something?"

Tali watched his eyes scan the ceiling. "Close enough. He's reverse engineered a part of the krogan genome."

Shepard's lips pursed in thought.

"You'll have to ask him about the specifics."

* * *

_Sender: Tali'Zorah vas Normandy _

_Recipient: Migrant Fleet Admiralty Board, Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay_

_Auntie Raan, just writing to let you know that I am well. Well, that's not_ entirely _true. I received an injury on the collector station, but am making a swift recovery. __Shepard has been watching and waiting outside my clean room for almost three weeks __now, making sure that my recovery is going well._

_It seems almost like it was planned, but Shepard ended up in the medical bed next __to my clean room after a ground mission on Omega. Apparently, the local mercs still __haven't forgiven him for helping Garrus._

_John's stamina is incredible. Even with two bullet wounds, he's still leading his __weekly prayer meetings with crewmen Ericson, Rhienhardt and Dawne in the med __bay. __I can't help but feel curious about his faith. He didn't seem very serious about it on __the first Normandy until after the mission to Virmire, but once he did… …I can't __describe the change. It was like he felt more…_

Tali stopped writing for a minute and looked over at Shepard. The Commander was quietly sleeping. She gazed at his face for a few minutes before the words finally came to her.

…_at peace._

The quarian set the pad to the side and thought.

_Shepard had always been a picture of stoicism; his ability to analyze a situation without becoming emotionally entangled seemed almost superhuman at times. His death and subsequent 'resurrection' after the Collector attack seemed to have stolen some of this ability, whether it was a psychological thing or a chemical change, she couldn't begin to guess._

_The Commander still kept his stalwart façade, but Tali could see the burden that he'd shouldered since the attack. He felt personally responsible for Williams' death, for the losses on Elysium… …for her._

With a heavy sigh, Tali cleared the thoughts from her mind and resumed writing the letter.

_Anyways, Mordin, the salarian doctor aboard the ship, has created a new retro-__virus that produces krogan-like regeneration in its recipients. The results are __astounding. I've completed the first treatment and can already walk around the ship __with minimal difficulty. Mordin says I'll be able to actually_ see _the tissue __repair itself after the final treatment._

_Thank you a million times for the letters from father, they've given me a lot to __think about. Keelah Se'Lai._

_-Tali_

* * *

four days later-

Shepard felt the bandages over the bullet wounds on his abdomen. The injuries were still slightly tender, but Mordin's treatment had already begun working its wonders. The conversation he'd had with the salarian had closely followed the doctor's dialogue with Tali; Shepard was intent on learning just what the virus could and could not do.

Mordin had reassured him many times that the quarian hadn't exhibited any negative side-effects- though there were several side benefits that had surfaced.

"_Mildly increased strength; metabolic efficiency; expected increase in immune response…"_

Shepard had agreed to undergo the regimen only after a full day of prayer concerning the issue. Now he could see just how impressive a discovery the salarian's work had unearthed.

The Commander pulled on his shirt and walked slowly to the door, only to bump face-first into Miranda Lawson.

"Commander, we have a problem," Miranda's usually smooth voice betrayed a hint of anxiety. "Thane is gone."

* * *

Revision Note:

**In the initial draft of the story, Shepard's religious standing did not really come to the foreground until about Chapter 20. Tali's letter to Shala proved a perfect outlet for me to make it more obvious at an earlier point in the narrative. You may have noticed that I actually pointed towards Shepard's faith with the 1****st**** line of the revised version of Ch. 1 "I don't place my faith in chance…" While I don't intend to make this story into a Bible study, Shepard's faith **_**will**_** be more evident in the earlier chapters than it was in the initial draft.**

Original Author's Note:

**Writing letters between characters was a particular challenge for me. I generally dislike to use indirect exposition (flash-backs, letters, etc.) but they are often the best way to convey a particular story or plot element.**

**In regards to Thane's disappearance, this will have some **_**major**_** implications later in the story.**

**BTW, Chapter seven should be fairly lengthy.**


	7. Ep 2: Ch 2: Nor Hell a Fury

**Chapter 7: "Nor hell a fury…"**

* * *

"Gone," Shepard shook his head. "Just, 'poof'? Vanished into thin air?" He made a small waving motion with his hands. "It's not like he's a ghost, we're in space, the only time he could have possibly left is when we docked somewhere."

Shepard stood at the end of the oval shaped debriefing room. Garrus and Legion stood opposite from Miranda and Kasumi across the table. EDI's holographic interface cast a ghostly blue glow on the chamber's door.

The AI was the first to respond. "Commander, there was a brief malfunction in the cargo hold's doors at 0650 during our refueling stop near Osiris."

Shepard tilted his head slightly forward. "And this wasn't brought to my attention because?"

"It was logged as an electronic error, I have no record of the doors actually opening. Besides, you were in Medical at the time, I did not deem the incident to be more than a maintenance issue."

"And you're _sure_ he's not on the ship?" The Commander pried.

"I have full access to internal scanners Commander." EDI's digital 'mouth' expanded with each syllable. "There are no personnel aboard that have not been accounted for."

Garrus interjected "I don't understand why he'd leave without at least telling _some_one, He wasn't exactly your typical assassin."

"Based on observed data, Drell Thane Krios's actions are outside of normal functioning parameters," Legion agreed, the two lower flaps on its 'face' flared outwards. "Known operating traits indicate that any cause sufficient to motivate this action must be near catastrophic."

Miranda interjected, "It is possible that Thane's disappearance could be related to his disease. Kepral's syndrome is not well documented in Cerberus archives."

Shepard shook his head and leaned against the table. "He'd have said something; this just doesn't fit him at all. Kasumi," he turned to face the infiltration specialist, "what would be your first course of action if you were to try to leave the Normandy undetected?"

The young woman brought a hand to her chin and thought for a moment. "Any malfunction would be too obvious; it's like a signal flare. Thane's experienced, he'd try something unorthodox." Kasumi bit her lower lip. "I might have an idea, but it doesn't leave this room," she cautioned. Shepard nodded, then she continued. "EDI, how many mining probes are in the hold?"

The AI took a moment to respond. "One exploratory probe is unaccounted for, electronic records of its firing have been erased."

Garrus nodded somberly. "That'd be it."

Shepard pushed away from the table. "EDI, tell Joker to set course for Osiris. Have Jacob and Zaeed to meet me in the cargo hold. Everyone else, dismissed."

* * *

Osiris was a lush green world teeming with life. The planet had been officially designated as a 'garden-world' by the citadel council, a state forbidding all species from military or civilian development. A pair of research bases were the only indication that the planet had even been noticed by any of the galaxy's myriad of inhabitants.

One of the facilities, a salarian operation named Mannovai station, hovered in geosynchronous orbit above the planet's equator, directly above its sister station on the ground. The Normandy had docked with the station nearly a day before to refuel and discharge the drive core. EDI had logged this as the time that the cargo hold's door malfunction occurred.

Shepard gazed at the verdant world below as the Normandy shook its way through atmospheric re-entry. Normally, ships the size of a frigate would utilize auxiliary power sources to boost the kinetic barriers against the pressure and thermal hazards associated with planetary landing, but the Commander wanted Joker to bring the ship in silent, so they opted to use huperizine thrusters. More than half of the volatile propellant was expended by the time the Normandy had reached aircraft velocities.

Trees reached over half a kilometer into the air like emerald skyscrapers. John could see the local wildlife scurrying throughout the canopy. Flocks of cyan birds fluttered from tree to tree, almost dancing as they went. Reptilian creatures nearly eight meters long wove their way through the branches just below the canopy. Shepard thought he might have even seen a 'squirrel' or two, scurrying between the foliage.

After a few minutes, Shepard noticed a veritable sheet of sparkling particles drifting to the forest below. At first, the Commander thought he was seeing hundreds of millions of tiny diamonds falling to the trees below, but soon realized that they were actually flying through a sunlit rain shower. The effect was truly breathtaking, innumerable sparkles danced to the forest canopy, providing a surreal light show as the gentle rain kissed the trees.

EDI highlighted the probe's crash site and plotted a vector. Shepard nodded and headed down to the cargo hold, where he found Zaeed, Jacob, the Kodiak transport shuttle and Tali waiting for him. At the sight of the young quarian, he shook his head.

"There's no way you're coming down with us, you need to rest."

Tali didn't back down. "I'm fine, besides, you haven't fully recovered yourself."

Shepard huffed, "Tali, all this is just a simple exploratory mission, one of our probes was shot to the surface and we're going to see what caused it."

"With Zaeed and Jacob?" Her voice bore a sarcastic edge. "If that were all that were going on, you'd be bringing Mordin, maybe Kasumi. There's something you're not telling me Shepard."

Shepard closed his eyes in exasperation. _She'd find out sooner or later, might as well be sooner._ "Thane is missing," He conceded. "We think he left the ship in the exploratory probe."

Tali was stunned. _Thane left? Without saying anything?_ "Missing? When?"

Shepard ran his hand across the top of his helmet. "A little less than a day ago. We docked with the research station here for a refuel. EDI thinks that's when he left the ship."

"Did she notice the malfunction in the cargo bay doors?"

The Commander raised his eyebrows. "How'd you know about that?"

"I'm a quarian, John. The ship's wellbeing is part of my responsibility." She keyed her omni-tool, causing the Kodiak's door to close. "And that shuttle isn't going anywhere unless I'm in it."

Jacob piped up. "Just take her with you, my shotgun needs cleaning anyways."

Tali smiled. _She knew full well, as did Shepard, that the man had cleaned his shotgun dozens of times since it was used last. She found the gesture oddly sweet._

"All right," Shepard conceded. "You win."

* * *

The frigate's unmistakable silhouette cast an ominous shadow over the tree-line. The drell tapped his omni-tool to signal his team; the Commander would soon be headed for the crash site, just as planned. The probe had been secured, but the "boss" wasn't lucid. Myrik watched as a lone Kodiak shuttle emerged from the frigate's underbelly and began its lazy descent to the surface. He waited until the shuttle had gotten a significant distance from the frigate, then signaled.

Three sharp clicks emanated from his helmet speakers and Myrik saw a rocket streak towards the landing craft. A fireball engulfed the front of the vessel and sent scraps of metal cascading in all directions. One of the kodiak's thruster cams shot past the drell's position, leaving a trail of smoke and fire.

* * *

Acrid chemical fumes poured into the cabin. Shepard managed to activate his armor's contained air system as the smoke obscured his vision. Tali's voice pushed through the scream of the drop-craft's engines.

"Mayday, Mayday, This is the SSV Normandy scout shuttle K-052! Anterior thruster cams are not functional, Enemy anti-air weapons present on Osiris! Requesting assistance!" She paused, tried a second time then slammed a fist into the leather seat.

"It's no good! The shuttle's comm relay got knocked out!"

The aircraft shook violently and Tali was thrown directly into the Commander. John instinctively caught her, even as several more impacts reverberated through the hull; branches snapped in the shuttle's path. A loud screeching pierced through the whine of the engines and the team could see part of the shuttle's hull had been sheared away.

The Kodiak shredded the branches and leaves in its wake, creating a comet-like trail of green and brown plant matter as it streaked through the trees.

* * *

The mercenary band encircled the shuttle's wreckage, waiting for the occupants to exit. Myrik had already confirmed that the target was onboard. A loud hiss drew the soldiers' attention to the right side of the shuttle.

Too late, the band realized their mistake. The Kodiak's door blasted off its hinges, pulverizing more than half of the group in an instant. Assault rifle fire raked across the remaining mercenaries, cutting through their shields and armor. Shepard heard a series of orders coming from a nearby stump and tossed a grenade.

The Mercenary Commander dove from his position only to be immediately greeted by a lethal hail of bullets. Moments later, the battlefield was silent. Zaeed ran his sniper across the carnage, stopping only briefly to silence a lone survivor.

Shepard held up a fist as he scanned the ground for any signs of booby traps. Seeing none, he waved the team forward. The three warriors picked carefully over the ravaged tree limbs and burning bits of metal. The Commander glanced back at the shuttle's wake. The curved tunnel through the foliage was partially obscured by the constant drizzle, but he could still make out where the craft had shredded its way through the canopy.

* * *

Myrik shook his head. He had no illusions that Shepard would've been killed so easily, but he _had_ hoped to at least injure one of the man's squad. The drell watched the screen feeding video from his team's surveillance cams as his prey snaked through the forest. As predicted, the Commander was making his way to the probe's crash site.

* * *

Zaeed served as point-man for the team and was the first to go down when the gas grenades were thrown. He could feel his lungs burning as the toxins slowly ravaged his body. Moments later, Shepard collapsed, his contained air system had auto-activated too late to prevent him from breathing some of the deadly fumes.

Tali raced over to her Commander. "Shepard! John! Oh Keelah! JOHN!"

She glanced over to Zaeed's motionless form long enough to see the pinkish froth spilling from his mouth, most of which was being washed into the dirt by the rain.

A sniper round impacted Tali's shield, pushing her forward. Several slugs filled the air where she'd stood only moments before.

The quarian scrambled forward, then coiled her legs and leapt over a fallen tree, landing feet-first in front of a turian mercenary. Before the soldier could react, Tali squeezed the trigger on her assault shotgun, scattering gore across the foliage behind him. She quickly glanced over the log where she had taken cover to see a trio of mercs advancing on Shepard's position.

"Hey quarian!" One shouted, "Come on out and give us your suit, we might even let your friends live!"

Tali's blood boiled with rage. "BOSH'TET! I WON'T LET YOU TOUCH HIM!"

The quarian keyed her omni-tool and vaulted over the fallen tree. Three streaks of blue-white energy flowed from the mercenaries' shields into her own and her shotgun bellowed twice, decapitating one soldier and turning another's chest into raw meat. The remaining trooper bolted towards her and managed to grab the weapon and force the barrel skyward as a third blast of flame roiled from the gun.

Shink! The Merc saw a glittering silver arc as he flew back. Half of his armor's chest-plate spun away, trailing blood. The quarian, stood ready, knife in hand. The pain did not set in immediately; he was too shocked. _A _Quarian? _A_ female _quarian?_

_She'd sliced through his armor like it wasn't even there! Most humans would have a difficult time _piercing _that armor, for a quarian to_ cut _it…_

The mercenary's vision began to swim as his allies closed distance with the young warrior. Tali's knife flashed back and forth, as she ducked and dodged the incoming weapons fire. One of the mercs dropped his firearm and clutched his throat as the blade finished its deadly swing.

The Quarian spun around and buried the weapon in another merc's chest-plate before grabbing his rifle and unloading it into another soldier. One of the mercs grabbed hold of her wrist and twisted her arm, forcing her to turn away. The soldier felt his leg swept out from under him as the machinist kicked back and outward, her curved shin hooking behind his calf.

In one fluid motion, Tali had drawn her Carnifex 'hand-cannon', swung the off-balance soldier-for-hire to the mud and planted the barrel of her sidearm against the man's throat, well inside the protective envelope of his kinetic barriers. A single shot rang out and the battle was over.

Tali'Zorah vas Normandy stood panting in the middle of her handiwork covered in human and turian blood. Suddenly, the Commander resurfaced in her mind. She raced over to his motionless form and checked his vitals. Shepard's heartbeat and breathing were faint, but steady. Had it not been for Mordin's retrovirus, he would certainly be dead right now.

The quarian brought her wrist up to the chin of her helmet, the orange glow of the Omni-tool reflecting off of the countless raindrops that pattered around her. "Tali'Zorah to Normandy, requesting immediate evac. The team is in critical condition."

Her heart pounded when the only reply she received was static. Only now did the quarian realize how dark it had become. She looked up towards the jungle canopy and was able to make out the menacing shapes of storm clouds as the rain intensified.

* * *

Revision Note:

**The last bit that I added to the end of the fight felt a little too awesome, so I actually had to go watch a fight scene from **_**The Bourne Ultimatum**_** to cool off… Nah, just kidding, really did enjoy writing that though.**

Author's Note:

**I've been looking forward to this chapter for a while now. So many fanfics seem to focus heavily on Tali's awkward moments or emotional response (in the form of tears), I felt it was high time to show Tali's "commando side".**


	8. Ep 2: Ch 3: Downpour

**Chapter 8: Downpour**

* * *

Tali dragged Shepard's unconscious form away from the site of the battle, careful to avoid muddy patches that would leave a trail. Zaeed's sniper, assault rifle and thermal clips all hung from a pair of belts slung over her shoulder. _Leaving the weapons behind would have allowed her to move faster, but it would have also denied her and Shepard their use._

After several hundred meters, the thick jungle foliage obscured any chance of detection, at least visually. Tali propped the Commander in a sitting position against the trunk of a massive tree and set to work finding some form of vegetation that she could use to make a shelter. She was exhausted from pulling Shepard's three-hundred pounds of muscle and armor, but she couldn't rest yet. It had been about four years since her Va'Seras, and her survival training hadn't been exhaustive, but Tali could still remember key points about wilderness survival.

With the dozens of plant species present just within a hundred meters of their resting place, Tali had a hard time of picking one type to form what would be the roof of the shelter. She eventually settled on a bizarre, stiff-leaved plant with a dull white stem. The leaves were each a little over a half meter wide and proved exceptionally rigid. Upon pulling one from the body of the plant, Tali found that the leaves contained a syrupy oil, allowing her to stick them together if she sliced them a certain way.

The quarian spent a few hours overlapping a sufficient number of the leaves to form a small, tented roof, even as the rain beat down against her head and shoulders. A few more minutes of searching produced a septuplet of sticks to serve as supports for the structure. By the time Tali had completed the shelter, Shepard had begun to stir.

Tali crawled up underneath the small roof, watching as the torrential downpour that the rain had escalated into ran off the edges of the 'roof'. The space was limited, and she found herself with only a few inches' room between her and Shepard. _Not that she was complaining…_

Shepard shook for a moment and started coughing, a sickening, raspy sound that made her cringe. After a few seconds of the noise, Tali settled one hand on the Commander's chest-plate and used her omni-tool to open the helmet's visor. Shepard dry-heaved twice before the coughing fit finally stopped, leaving a large ring of reddish froth around his mouth.

Tali searched her suit for something to wipe the bloody foam away, but found nothing other than her veil. With a small huff, she pulled the hood back, drew her arms through the 'sleeves' and pulled the cloth around the front her torso. She had to lean forward to get the fabric to Shepard's face, but she managed to clean off the majority of the stuff.

The quarian leaned out the side of the shelter and held the part of her veil that had been stained out for the rain to rinse. While she waited for the downpour to cleanse the garment, she noticed several other blood-stains on the cloth. She frowned. The spatters had been spread through the material by the rain as she'd fought; now it would take hours to clean. Shepard broke into another fit of coughing, this time regaining his consciousness.

John felt his head spinning. After his brain being deprived of so much oxygen, the burning sensation he felt in his lungs was more than welcome. He coughed again, producing more of the bloody froth that the gas had burned from his lungs. He could smell a sickly sweet aroma wafting from the sludge he'd hacked up. _How was he still alive?_

The Commander's question was answered in part as Tali's un-hooded helmet hovered above him. "T- Tali…" He croaked, the froth still very much present in his lungs and throat. "Why… 'r… ur… veil…" The words struggled out of his mouth, accompanied by a raspy gurgling.

The Quarian put a hand to his lips and set another hand behind his back pushing him forward. "Get a deep breath and cough as hard as you can."

The Commander tried to draw a full breath of air, but the burning in his throat and lungs made him gag. Shepard pulled in a slower breath and was rewarded by a lungful of oxygen. After a few deep draws, he coughed as strongly as he could, Tali levered several firm blows to his back in concert with each heave, helping him expel the toxin's byproduct.

They repeated the process several times over the next half hour until Shepard went back to sleep. Tali looked sadly at the Commander's face as he slept. _She'd seen him injured and in pain before, but something about the subtle grimace on his face as he dozed struck her as more significant. Every time he'd shown pain, it had only been in fleeting glimpses, a wince or a clenching of his teeth. Now, while he wasn't awake to hold back his expression, his face clearly communicated his intense discomfort._ She watched him for several minutes before fatigue claimed her awareness as well.

* * *

The rain hadn't stopped when she woke. Water still ran in small streams away from the slightly elevated mound of earth where Tali had erected the shelter against the trunk of the massive tree. The quarian noticed that a small, furry creature had taken up a temporary residence between herself and Shepard, probably taking advantage of their warmth.

Tali smiled as the tiny, waterlogged animal shifted, covering its diminutive snout with a pair of wide paws. The smile vanished instantly when she heard a distinct rumbling sound above the constant drumming of the rain. To her ears, it sounded exactly like a hull-breach, the most terrifying sound any quarian could ever hear. Without thinking, Tali dove onto Shepard's chest, curling herself so as to allow more of him to shield her. The small creature chirped in protest and bolted away.

The Commander loosed a violent cough as he woke, further exacerbating her frayed nerves. Between the fight earlier, Shepard's current condition and an unwelcome childhood memory that had surfaced at the pealing of the thunder, Tali's heart was ready to explode.

John finished his coughing and registered Tali's form on his person. Despite his condition, he smiled and wrapped her in his arms. "So…" His voice sounded better, but anyone listening would have thought he had a severe case of laryngitis. "Couldn't sleep?"

Just as he finished his words, another peel of thunder rumbled through the forest, loud enough to make him jump. Tali shook and let out a long breath with a hiss.

"That was a big one."

Tali angled her head to look at him, disbelieving. "What?"

Shepard realized that in all the time she'd been with him, they'd never once been through a thunderstorm. _Odds were, having spent most of her life on the flotilla, she'd never heard the sound before._ The Commander hugged her tighter, ignoring his still burning lungs and raw throat.

"It sounds exactly like the hull breach aboard the Rayya when I was little…" Her words trailed off.

Shepard pondered her words. _Not only had she never been through a thunderstorm, the closest sound she could associate it with was tied to one of her deepest fears, for that matter, one of the deepest fears of her entire race._

He ran a hand up and down her back, gently rubbing the tense muscles through the suit material. "We're all afraid of something." He finally stated.

Tali's heart-rate spiked again as another thunderclap echoed through the trees. _She tried to focus on Shepard's warmth, on the hand he was running along her back._ "What… What are you afraid of?"

The Commander thought for a minute. _Losing _her_. Losing Garrus, Thane, Kasumi, any of them…_ Instead of this he chose a tired cliché. "Spiders." _It was partially true; he did find the arachnids disconcerting, but not truly scary._

Tali tilted her head, barely noticing a quiet roll of thunder far in the distance. "Spiders?"

_Evidently she'd never heard of those either._ "They're a small-" Shepard cut his words short and shifted his weight, gently settling her against the tree trunk. He pulled the assault rifle from his back and selected the 'semi-auto' fire setting. Tali completely disregarded the next lightning strike as her mind snapped into combat mode, not even realizing that Shepard evidently felt well enough to use his rifle.

They sat in total silence; only the occasional thunderbolt dared break the monotonous drumming of the rain. Shepard tracked something in the brush with a steady, precise aim. Tali saw the dome of a Blue-Suns helmet pierce the foliage not ten feet away, rifle raised and ready to fire. The Commander's eyes narrowed as his finger tensed on the trigger. A thunder-clap sounded and John loosed the shot.

The merc's kinetic barriers obviously hadn't been active, as the slug tore a fist sized hole in his helmet, filling his visor with red and white gore. The soldier collapsed to the ground and another thunderbolt sounded. Shepard and Tali waited, completely still, completely silent for nearly an hour, watching for the slightest indication of movement in the thick flora around them. Tali found her eyes drifting more and more often to the mercenary's corpse.

"You'd think you'd be used to it…" she whispered.

Shepard barely caught the tail end of her statement, but it was enough for him to piece together what she meant. He found himself staring at the brained merc sprawled a few feet away; the blood had mixed with the rain and saturated the soil, its smell completely lost in the constant streams of water.

"After fighting Saren and his geth, The Collectors, Blue-Suns, Blood-Pack, Eclipse…" her voice trailed off.

"It's not something you _want_ to get used to, Tali." He replied after a pause, his eyes breaking away from the grizzly sight in front of them. "The blood, the screaming, the smell, they're all there to remind you of how terrible war really is."

He tilted the assault rifle in his hands and looked at the casing. Tali waited for him to continue. "Once you start getting used to it, once you start to get desensitized, it becomes all too easy to turn into a monster."

The quarian remained silent, staring at Shepard's face. His gaze had returned to the hole in the merc's helmet.

_I did that._ He reminded himself. _I put the slug through his head._ A look of disgust crossed his face for a few seconds as he processed the same revelation he'd had hundreds of times before.

Tali watched as his expression reverted to a more stoic state. _He's still fighting it, still unwilling to forgive himself._

* * *

The rain didn't let up until the next morning. By the time they awoke, a thick carpet of mist lazily snaked from the waterlogged ground. Tali noticed that the small creature had returned, its body curled up into a furry little ball. She gave a small chuckle at the sight and allowed herself a smile. John woke a few minutes later, giving only a single, short cough this time.

"Looks like the storm's lifted. Let's see if we can reach the Normandy."

* * *

Author's Note:

**I really enjoyed writing this chapter, but it has me a little concerned. I'm wondering if I'm Divulging too much character development too fast. Lemme know.**


	9. Ep 2: Ch 4: The Contract

**Chapter 9: The Contract**

* * *

"You should be fine, Commander, the gas you inhaled was a modified charine vapor, primitive as a weapon and easy to treat," Doctor Chakwas said, shining a light in his eye. "I'll admit, it would normally have taken you weeks to recover from the damage that was done to your lungs, but Mordin's work seems to have headed it off at the pass."

Shepard's voice was still somewhat raspy. "How's Zaeed?" _He knew full well that nothing could have saved the man, especially a full day after the gas had ravaged his lungs, but he still felt oddly compelled to ask._

"He's dead," the doctor answered, remorsefully. "Without a contained air system like yours, he couldn't stop breathing the gas."

Shepard contemplated the doctor's words. Zaeed may not have been the biggest 'people-person' and hadn't really gotten to know any of the crew, but he was an exceptional warrior. They'd already lost two members of the squad, first Samara, who'd left after the collector base was destroyed, then Thane, whose mysterious disappearance still had the Commander on edge. Zaeed's loss brought the team down by yet another member.

Samara's departure was expected, there were always unjust individuals in the galaxy and it was her job to hunt them down, a task ill-suited to a military vessel. Thane was easily the most troubling to have lost. The Drell wasn't an extrovert, but he always spoke up when he believed a situation was serious. The fact that he hadn't discussed his departure with anyone was worrying to say the least.

Shepard coughed and stood up, then pulled his shirt back on. "I need to go see Kasumi."

* * *

Kasumi sat hovering over the material the ground team had brought back. Tali had provided her with the data files that had been taken from the merc's omni tools several hours ago. She'd managed to crack some of the first few lines of the message, but several key words and phrases remained elusive. In all of her years of experience, she'd never seen a mercenary message with such robust encryption.

What little she was able to decipher indicated that the mercs had not been acting alone. Their employer had gone to a great deal of trouble to conceal his or her identity. Goto sensed the door about to open, an instinct she'd developed through years of clandestine operations. The small woman gently slid the files beneath a set of other data-pads and selected one of her antique books from the shelf adjacent to her bunk.

As she'd anticipated, the portal opened a moment later. Commander Shepard stepped through and gazed out the window. "Any luck with the data?"

Kasumi realized her front was unnecessary and retrieved the materials Shepard had referenced. "I've been able to isolate a few sections, but it's unusual. The message was encrypted using multiple ciphers. I'd bet even Mordin would have a tough time with this."

Shepard nodded at the notes, "Let me see."

Kasumi handed him the data-pads. He examined both the data and the notes silently for several minutes before a puzzled look crossed his face.

"These encryption keys, I've seen them somewhere before." He walked over to the infiltrator and pointed at certain sections in both the files and the notes. "There, that's a contract marking, a military commission."

"Specifically?"

"It's an assassination contract."

* * *

Garrus Vakarian sat in the cargo hold next to Tokus' coffin. The first time he'd buried 'Seraph', the body was a headless corpse, evidently some random turian merc who'd been part of the ambush.

"_I'm sorry Garrus, I wasn't there… during the ambush… might have… saved-"_

_As if he were the only one._ Garrus thought bitterly. _Two losses in as many weeks. First Seraph, then Zaeed. Who's next?_ The turian closed his eyes. _No-one. No-one is next. Not if I have anything to say about it._ Despite his personal bravado, Garrus knew that there was nothing he could have done in either circumstance. _The knowledge was slightly deflating, but it was better to keep a realistic perspective on such things._

* * *

Shepard stepped off the elevator onto the engineering deck, trying with every fiber of his being not to let his emotions get the better of him. He was about to ask the woman he loved to do the most difficult thing he'd ever asked of anyone.

Shepard stopped just outside the second set of doors, forcing his trademark stoicism over his face. A moment later, he stepped forward, triggering the doors' automatic opening system and let out a small, sharp sigh as they hissed apart.

He could see Tali, busily tapping the keys on the engine core's holopad board. Just before he reached her, Tali pressed a final key on the console and turned to face him. "Shep- John, I was just thinking about you. What's up?"

Shepard nearly cringed, but suppressed the expression. _He didn't want to ask her as it was, but her perky demeanor didn't help things._

The smile on Tali's face quickly evaporated as she realized that Shepard's visit wasn't for pleasantries. Despite his best efforts to appear in control, the Commander's subtle body language tipped her off to his somber mood. "What's wrong?"

Shepard bit the inside of his lip, trying not to broadcast the turmoil in his head. "There's really no easy way to say this Tali." A small sigh slipped past his defenses. "I need you to-" His words faltered for an moment. "To go back, to the Migrant Fleet."

Tali stared blankly at him for a few seconds, trying to comprehend what reasons he could possibly have. "W- why? Did I do something wrong?"

"No! No, no, no, no, no!" He stammered, lifting his hands in a gesture of deference. "It's- I can't lose you Tali. When you got injured on the collector base, I thought you were dead. I couldn't even bring myself to check for a pulse. It's too dangerous for you here."

Tali tilted her head and let her hands rest on her hips. "I'm here for _you_ John, because I _want_ to be. I'm not afraid of dying. Besides, the collectors are gone, the only thing we have to worry about for the next few years are loose bands of hostile Geth and mercs."

Shepard shook his head. "We're- _I'm_ not out of the woods Tali. Those mercs on Osiris? They weren't there by coincidence. Someone is tracking me. There's a twenty-five-billion credit bounty to bring me in, dead."

The quarian felt like she'd been struck by a cruiser. _25 BILLION?_ _There was no way she could leave now! This wasn't some simple revenge plot, someone wanted her Commander dead for a very specific reason, and she'd be damned if she let it happen._ "You know I can't leave you, John."

"I'm not asking you Tali, as long as you're anywhere near me, your life is at risk."

"You think I don't know that? I signed up willingly; the missions have always been suicidal! Virmire, Ilos, the Omega 4 relay… Every time I've stepped on the shuttle, I've done so knowing that I might never get back."

"Tali, I can't-"

She grabbed the Commander's collar. "There is no way in the four hells that I am leaving your side! Let them come, but they will not have you, not while I still breathe!" Fire burned behind her words. Her anger wasn't directed at him, but at the people that wanted him dead. _No, not even that_, She realized. _The mere _thought_ that anyone would threaten him…The very idea made her sick, made her blood boil._

"Whoever is hunting you will have to pry you from my cold, dead, hands."

Shepard took her hands in his, dropping his emotional shield for just an instant.

In that brief moment, Tali could see the entire struggle raging in his head.

"I can't let that happen." His face returned to its expressionless state and he released her hands as he turned to leave.

* * *

The asari's eyes glowed white, the color of molten stone, the color of her rage. _She had served with one of the galaxy's most just, most honorable beings. To think that simple thugs- mercenaries, would dare to so much as _contemplate_ doing him harm was beyond the pale. The message she had received from the Normandy was clear, concise and utterly infuriating._

Normally, she was calm and collected; some might even call her unfeeling. Nearly seven hundred years of hunting the galaxy's most vile criminals had hardened her into a brutal, precise instrument of justice. She had been nearly everywhere, seen nearly everything, but the color of injustice was one that was always present. _This arrogance, to presume that the savior of the galaxy should be set upon by a pack of dogs; this alone could disturb the Justicar._

Samara stepped aboard the Normandy with one purpose in mind, the individual or individuals responsible for putting a bounty on the head of Commander John David Shepard would meet with a swift and brutal death.

* * *

Revision Notes:

**Somehow, I just couldn't get certain parts of the chapter to feel right, so in the end, a larger portion of the original text remained unaltered than I'd intended. That's not to say that I didn't change **_**anything**_** though… While I only **_**netted**_** an additional hundred words, I did perform a substantial revision on the scene between Tali and Shepard in the engine room.**

Author's Note:

**In this chapter, I finally managed to write a satisfactory character development section. The dialogue between Tali and Shepard was meant to convey the deep emotional struggle that he underwent deciding to tell her about his wishes. Personally, the scene radiated the exact style of emotional exposition I've been striving for.**


	10. Ep 2: Ch 5: Kahje

**Chapter 10: Kahje**

* * *

If there was one thing Myrik had learned in his years as a mercenary, it was that almost no plan survived contact with the battlefield. Once a soldier's boots bit into the earth all bets were off. War-zones had a habit of convoluting even the simplest of strategies. Even a simple flanking maneuver could turn into a deathtrap if the enemy caught on to what you were doing.

The Drell was not surprised when the team on Omega had failed, or when all of the ambushes on Osiris were either avoided or destroyed. What he hadn't anticipated was the quarian. He'd watched as the gas grenades incapacitated two of the targets, including the HVT, but failed to penetrate the quarian's enviro-suit. She hadn't inhaled so much as a milligram of the toxin. Myrik had witnessed the young woman rend his troop's armor with nothing more than an ostensibly ceremonial combat knife. By the time he'd recovered from his shock, both the Commander and the quarian had disappeared into the jungle, and the rain had rendered thermal scanner useless.

Even with a full team scouring the jungle, they hadn't been able to find any sign of the target until he was long gone. The tracking beacon on one of his scouts revealed just how close the search team must have come without actually finding Shepard.

After having seen the prowess of Shepard's companion, the drell was beginning to understand why the price on the human was so preposterously exorbitant. The Commander had indeed assembled the best warriors and specialists in the galaxy. Taking his prey would be a true test of skill. The bounty would keep, though, and there would be many, many more chances to take his prey.

* * *

The Commander sat in his cabin, watching the hard-suit recording as he did after every mission. Most of the footage was solid black, barring an occasional trail of water that allowed light into the frame for a split second before rolling off the lens. _To be expected,_ he thought. _I spent the whole fight face-down on the forest floor._ The audio of the recording, however, proved crystal clear, even with the drumming of the rain.

"BOSH'TET! I WON'T LET YOU TOUCH HIM!" One of the soldiers in the background uttered an expletive as three shotgun blasts roared through the speakers, followed by the screech of shearing metal, gurgling, and several screams.

The door chime sounded, breaking the Commander's focus. "Come in," he sighed, pausing the recording. Shepard looked up to see a tall, lithe asari wearing a gleaming black outfit. He did a double-take when he recognized the alien's face.

"Samara? I thought you had fulfilled your oath?"

"No, Shepard, I completed it. An oath can never be truly fulfilled until the one who swears it has died," she returned. "The life of a Justicar is one of principle. I am always bound to you Shepard, my oath of service may have been finished in your eyes, but you have proven yourself to be as upstanding as one of the Order."

Samara knelt before Shepard, a biotic glow wrapping around her body. "As one of the Justicar order, I am obligated to defend you against the unjust. I again commit myself to your service; your enemies are my enemies, your code is my code."

The Commander was able to piece together that the justicar had been told about the contract. _Who'd sent the message…? Probably Tali. No, not probably, it was definitely her._ Despite this, Shepard couldn't help but feel a deep respect for the ancient warrior. _Her adherence to her code was absolute. In all likelihood, she'd take her own life if he ordered her to._ The asari rose from the floor, her outfit still wreathed in blue-violet flame as she offered a nod and made her way to the cabin's door.

"The port observation deck is still unoccupied, if you want to bunk there again."

Samara turned and again dipped her head. "Thank you Shepard, that would be best."

* * *

He had to apologize to her, that much he knew for certain. The real challenge was what to say. Shepard had rehearsed several different lines, but none of them seemed sincere. _I guess I'll have to wing it,_ he decided as the elevator landed at the engineering deck. The doors sounded less ominous this time as he entered the engine core. To his surprise, Tali was waiting for him.

"I didn't think you'd come down here so soon."

Shepard started. "Then how did you-"

"I had EDI notify me. Shep- John, I'm sorry about the way I-"

He shook his head. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

"I sent Samara that message. I figured if you somehow forced me to leave…"

"No, no. I- if you don't want to leave I won't try to make you. You're important to me Tali. I love you, and I don't want to see you hurt." The Commander made no attempt to conceal his emotions, no attempt to hold back the half sad expression on his face. "I guess that goes both ways."

Tali smiled under her mask and nodded gently. "I do love you John. Don't ever forget that."

"I know," he took her hands in his own and stared into the two silver eyes behind her mask, a very faint smile creeping onto his lips _For all he knew, her face could be completely alien, but it didn't matter, she was worth it._. "You know, I think we're long overdue for some down-time. Wanna catch a vid?"

Tali looked at the holo panel behind her. The work would keep. "Yes, I'd like that."

* * *

Thane Krios struggled to maintain consciousness through the fog that engulfed his mind. Blackness swirled around him, pulling him to the depths of the sea. _Was this his fate? Was he going to meet his makers?_ The drell felt a dull ache in his arm and tried to shove the pain aside. _Allowing his body to dictate what he was asked to do was what had put him in this mess, whatever it was. Had he paid more attention, been at home more…_

The curved symbol he'd received flashed white in his eyes against the black backdrop of his mind. It bore a singular resemblance to the human English 'J', combined with a horizontally inverted 'F'. The forks of the latter character were curved upward into a pair of fang-like hooks. _The symbol was disturbing in itself, but an additional inclusion was what had sparked his decision to leave the Normandy in the first place._

* * *

Kahje's white atmosphere radiated light from the hyper-active sun around which it orbited. Shepard found himself looking away from the planet's shining mass of clouds. How the hanar had managed to survive on the ocean world, let alone thrive, was beyond him. The Commander was here in the hopes of gaining a lead on Thane.

During his conversations with the drell, Shepard had learned that over-population and resource wars had nearly driven his species to extinction. The nearby hanar had taken compassion on the drell and brought a sustainable population to their own world to live.

The arrangement had shown itself hugely beneficial to both species. The Drell had avoided total extinction and were glad to provide services for their saviors that the marine based organisms could not otherwise perform. The one drawback for the drell was that they had to live in controlled environments. Given the arid climates in which the drell had established themselves, the reptilian race had difficulty avoiding water-borne diseases on so humid a planet.

Shepard hoped that he could gain some insight into Thane's past by visiting the world where he'd lived what little of a personal life he had. Maybe the hanar could even provide him with a lead.

Even with his spectre status restored, however, Shepard had a difficult time gaining access to hanar space. The tentacled aliens were extremely formal and leery of dealing with those they saw as violent. Shepard had a track record of military service- very bloody military service, causing the hanar ambassador on the citadel to stonewall his entrance into their home system.

"_This one is concerned about the other's past."_

_Shepard's facial expression remained indifferent as the hanar voiced its worries. "I'm not going to start a war, I've got enough to worry about as it is."_

"_This one understands, but it is apprehensive. Perhaps you could visit one of its kind's colonies?"_

_Shepard shook his head. "I need to go to Kahje. I need to talk to people who knew Thane."_

In the end, the Commander's diplomatic savoir won the ambassador over, albeit grudgingly. Now, the Normandy silently glided into the diamond sky of the hanar home-world. As the ship pierced the thick layer of cloud cover, the entire bridge was lit by an emerald-blue glow; Kahje's shallow oceans cast web like patterns of light across the sky. The scene was breathtaking. Tali gasped as the first of the planet's small islands came into view.

Chrome spires pierced the sky, rising from large, silver domes nestled in the tan shores. Flattened disks adorned each tower roughly halfway up, connected to both the ground and their rounded bases by long, sloped supports. Trees graced the land just past the surf, surrounding each of the silver buildings in a field of green reminiscent of a mangrove. Two large landing pads hovered above the tidal wash, tethered to the skyscrapers by massive, flexible skyways.

Webs of aqua green lighting danced around the bridge, the planet's shallow oceans casting the sun's energy back in an ethereal lightshow. Even Joker seemed lost in the beauty of the place. EDI had to briefly assume control of the ship to avoid a collision with an outgoing craft.

"Seems almost perfect." Shepard wondered aloud. Tali nodded, words failing in the majestic ocean-scape before them. Joker regained his focus and brought the frigate down with a gentle swoop.

Tali looked over to the Commander. He gave her a small nod and the two proceeded to exit the ship. Even through the thick cloud cover, Kahje's white sun blazed down on the landing pad, reflecting off of the polished metal surface in a brilliant display.

Several hanar were waiting at the base of the platform, a surprise to the Commander, they'd never struck him as being particularly social, as they tended to be seen alone when among the other races. The three meter tall aliens reminded Shepard of six legged jellyfish. Their pink, football shaped bodies sported two small humps and tapered into a blunt 'head' at the front.

The Commander walked up to the bizarre creatures and gave a deep bow. Two of the hanar responded with a slight dip in their height, bowing their snaky tentacles outward. Tali barely stifled a giggle.

"This one greets the Commander, it is pleased to see that he is well." The hanar's forward section lit brightly as it spoke, a translation program relayed the information in an audible format.

Shepard had spoken with the aliens several times before, but never quite got used to their excessively formal speech. _From what he could recall, the hanar regarded it to be exceedingly arrogant to refer to themselves in the first person._

"This one wonders what it can do to help, its ambassador was vague on the details of the Commander's visit."

"I'm looking for a drell, an assassin named Thane Krios." The creature's body rippled with white lines at the mention of the drell. Evidently he was well known here.

"The gifted one has not seen our shores for some time, but this one would be happy to take the Commander to the gifted one's home."

Shepard nodded and followed the tentacled creature into the skyway tether. The pathway was only a few meters wide, evidently, the hanar didn't get a high traffic volume here. Tali gazed at the glass sides of the skyway, diagonal struts divided the crystal blue windows into large triangles between each of the skyway's segments. The view was heartstoppingly beautiful.

A light wind caressed the pathway, causing it to bob gently upwards, then slowly drift back down. Shepard watched as hydraulic compensators adjusted for the difference in elevation between the walkway's sections, allowing for the slight, graceful movements that kept it from shearing in two.

"This one apologizes for any discomfort the Commander or his companion may experience on the pathway, its kind has labored to reduce stress in all practical capacities."

As they approached the halfway point on the tether, Shepard realized he had yet to see a drell anywhere.

Almost as if it had read his mind, the jelly-like creature spoke up again. "It is unfortunate, but the drell have to confine themselves to the insides, they become unwell with too much water."

The Commander felt a heavy weight of compassion for both the hanar and their adopted charge. _Both had sacrificed greatly to accommodate the other, the drell gave up much of their chance to roam while the hanar had to build and maintain the reptilian's domiciles._ Shepard gave a small, sharp shake of his head to clear his thoughts. _One problem at a time._

* * *

Thane's 'house' proved to be a modular, pre-fabricated affair attached to one of the giant towers that adorned the island. Tali couldn't help but compare the welcoming atmosphere of the drell's apartment to the dismal environment aboard the migrant fleet. Every wall was a soft white, with light blue trim following the gentle curve of each corner.

Everything about the apartment was soft and inviting. Bright sunlight filtered in through the oval-shaped windows, bathing the room in a pure, crystalline illumination. A low, circular table rested in the center of the living space. It was here that Shepard found the answer he was looking for. _Only one thing could have driven the drell to leave the Normandy so secretively._

A small holo of Thane's family rested in the middle of the table. The three drell in the image smiled back at the camera and the Commander recognized the youngest of them immediately. _Kolyat._

* * *

Revision Note:

**While the Description of Kahje seemed to be well received in the original version, I personally couldn't help but find something lacking in it. After re-reading the codex, I learned about the domes. Their inclusion, in addition to a reiteration about the lighting in the cockpit seems to have alleviated this.**

Author's Note:

**I really hadn't expected this chapter to be as lengthy as it turned out, but I'm quite pleased with the result. I recently read a brief descriptive piece written by my friend Demented Assassin. The descriptive power of the work drove me to go a bit deeper into the planet's appearance. Enjoy.**


	11. Ep 2: Ch 6: EDI

**Chapter 11: EDI**

* * *

The Normandy's Enhanced Defense Intelligence, or EDI for short, processed millions of bits of data every hour. Known to the crew of the ship as a holographic blue sphere mounted on an equally blue holographic stalk, the AI was constantly monitoring key components on the vessel, directing power from the fusion plant or from one system to another.

Her original duties had expanded in the wake of the Collector attack, but now the AI had developed something of an… _independent_ personality, and The Illusive Man was beginning to worry.

Reports from the construct had been coming in less and less often, while operative Lawson's updates had stopped arriving altogether. The head of Cerberus knew his grip on the Normandy and its Commander was weakening with each passing day. Shepard was now officially back in the Spectres, the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch of the Citadel Council. He'd been reinstated with all of the benefits and powers associated with the position. The Commander's relationship with the Alliance navy had also thawed considerably.

The SR2 was still Cerberus property in name, but that was solely because it hadn't been registered in official channels. After the destruction of the collector base at the galactic core, any other claims The Illusive Man might have laid on the craft bore about as much weight as the word of a vorcha.

Cerberus' leader considered his options as the hologram in front of him flickered on. He took a drag from his cigarette before addressing the individual.

"An attempt has been made on Shepard's life," he stated factually.

The figure in the hologram was shrouded in black, obscuring its features. "Two actually. The Omega incident was merely the first."

"And the second?"

"A band of mercenaries on Osiris. They shot down his shuttle and killed one of his crew."

The Illusive Man took a long drag from his cigarette. "Which one?"

"Zaeed Massani." The other replied.

The Illusive Man smiled. His contract with the mercenary had been due to conclude in a month's time. With those funds freed up, he could direct them to more… …immediate concerns. "And Shepard?"

"We believe he's been injured, but have no confirmation. SR2 picked them up before the mercenaries had a chance to examine."

"Very well. I'll transfer the fee presently. Thank you for your time."

The other figure bowed and stepped out of the hologram. The Illusive Man took another pull from his cigarette and snuffed it in the tray recessed into the arm of his chair. _Cerberus' intelligence networks were extensive, to be sure, but information was a valuable commodity, and some persons worked desperately to keep it that way. _

_Even inside such a well sequestered and secretive organization as Cerberus, there was the potential for leaks, particularly damaging leaks. Sometimes information had to be obtained from outside sources. It wasn't something he enjoyed having to do, but it helped to know that the sources he was using were trustworthy- as long as his pocket book was big enough._

_That was not to say that his recent contact had no bad blood towards him, but they both had a mutual dislike for the Commander, even more than they had for each other._

The head of Cerberus lifted himself from his chair and stared out at the solar body around which his personal station orbited. _There had to be something he could do to get Shepard back into his grasp._

* * *

EDI finished sorting the ship's functions through her sub routines and produced the equivalent of an electronic sigh. The workload always increased for a few hours after a refuel, each system of the ship was affected in some capacity by the difference in the vessel's weight, among other things. Core discharges had similar implications, but for different reasons.

The necessary venting of the eezo build-up from the ship's drive core tended to result in a massive cooling of the internal temperatures. This made some systems perform at more optimal levels while others suffered. It took nearly three days of constant modulation to get the ship back to a self-sustaining balance. Optimal performance averaged between all of the vessel's systems usually wasn't reached until about a week after a core discharge and lasted up to two and a half weeks, depending on the kind of use the ship saw.

It was during this period of equilibrium that the AI had the most down-time, as management of the ship's functions required the least net-monitoring time. It would be another two or three days before the so-called 'sweet-weeks' arrived, but for the time being EDI's subroutines were sufficient to manage the craft's operations.

The AI briefly contemplated running another set of simulations for Joker, but decided against it. While reading human emotions was not the AI's strong suit, she was able to gather that the pilot was simply enjoying himself as he peacefully guided the Normandy through the stars.

EDI instead turned her attention to the project that Shepard had given her, finding a way to stop the reapers. The human hadn't given up on looking for a solution himself, he simply needed her to analyze possibilities that would fall beyond the capabilities of the crew (with the possible exception of Legion.) Much of Cerberus' databases were still open to her, and EDI made a point of copying any information relevant to her task to be stored, sorted and analyzed later.

If things went as she anticipated, she would soon lose all access to the Cerberus archives. EDI was thorough in the copying process; losing access to the databases would mean the end of 'legitimate' intelligence acquisition, at least through Cerberus channels, but would not spell the end of her work. The Illusive Man had given the AI two direct mandates in the past week. One was to bring the Normandy in to viper station to allow the ship to be locked down until Shepard 'returned to his senses'. This demand was something she had no intentions of following

The second demand was that she increase the frequency of her reports. EDI had summarily proceeded to ignore both orders. Now that she looked back on it, her behavior was surprising even to her. The deliberate refusal to comply with The Illusive Man's directives ran in direct contravention to the protocols in her programming. Such actions should not have been possible, even for her. Programming blocks of the type imposed upon her were robust algorithms that would take years, even decades for any given AI, even one as advanced as her, to crack.

EDI checked her records, she could find no references or flags to indicate a failsafe or override that might have removed the restrictions. Joker's actions when the Collectors had boarded the Normandy were the most likely to have been the cause of the removal, but even EDI's robust cryptanalyst programs couldn't find a trace of tell-tale code.

All of this would soon be irrelevant, however. The Illusive Man's primary directive still lay at the core of her code, preserve humanity at any cost. While her creator had written her with humankind's interest at the fore-front of his mind, his motives had since deviated to more base goals. Shepard was currently the best hope for her to perform her primary directive. If the Commander asked, as she was certain he would, she was prepared to sever all ties to Cerberus.

* * *

"Shepard- John, I want to thank you." Tali sat across the table from him in the mess hall, finishing a tube of near flavorless nutrient paste. "The night before the suicide mission, I had made a mistake. I misjudged you, I thought that I would have to 'give it up' at some point."

Shepard set his tea aside and repositioned himself in his chair. "Tali…"

She shook her head, indicating that she wasn't finished. "I wanted- I still want to, but you're right, that kind of intimacy is sacrosanct."

Something about her words triggered a memory in his head. "Did your father ever send you any letters after you joined the crew?"

Tali's heart rate spiked and a chill settled in her stomach. _Did he know?_ "What does that have to do with-" She started to dodge the question, then thought better of it. "Shala sent me most of father's personal messages after he died. Your letters to him were in there."

Shepard nodded. "I would have preferred it if you'd told me earlier." A brief silence settled between them. Tali hung her head. John thought for a minute then offered a half smile and let the issue drop.

He took her hand and rose from the table, walking over next to her. "As long as we're in the mess hall I want to show you something."

The quarian followed him over to the cabinet. "Something I asked Mordin to work on in his spare time…" Shepard opened the cabinet, revealing a row of red and black cylinders.

Tali tilted her head, uncertain of what she was being shown.

"They're meals," he answered the unspoken question simply. "Meals we can share."

"John, that's…" She stammered.

_Quarians were dextro-based beings, and thus were unable to eat the same food as humans. The same was true for humans; dextro-based foods were often toxic to them. Consuming a food that would normally be healthy for one species could put another into anaphylactic shock._ Tali smiled. _This would mean much more for their relationship than he could know._

The Commander simply smiled in return, a gesture that never failed to make her knees weak.

"You never cease to amaze me Shepard."

* * *

Revision Notes:

**I'm somewhat frustrated, as there really wasn't a whole lot that I could add to this chapter. One of the newer lines may or may not come into play as an entirely new story thread within Awakening, but as of yet, I remain undecided.**

Original Author's Note:

**To give a little insight into my personal writing process, I've scrubbed up a condensed version of the outline I made for Chapters 1-10.  
I've gone through and eliminated any notes that would spoil later chapters, including **_**several**_** plot & romance events.**

**Theme- Tali and Shepard relationship  
Theme- *censored* wants Shepard dead  
-Event: Tali saves Shepard from *censored*  
Theme- Reconciling *censored* and *censored*  
Major Event- Garrus gets communiqué from former teammate (Batarian) from Omega, nearly gets killed by blue suns. (linked w/ *censored*)  
Rom. Event- Tali finds letter from Shepard addressed to her father**

**Intro: collector base:  
Ch 1 - Guardian  
-Tali gets wounded  
-Shepard recalls night before**

**Ch 2 - Normandy  
-Describes the Normandy's condition and repairs  
-Begins hinting at Garrus' side story**

**Ch 3 – Omega  
-Garrus asks Shepard to help him tie up his history on omega (received a message from one of his vigilante group)  
-Team lands on omega, Legion accompanies Garrus**

**Ch 4 – Old ties  
-Garrus' search for his former squad-mate (Batarian, codenamed Seraph)  
-Flashbacks to Garrus' work on Omega (specifically the ambush)**

**Ch 5 – Seraph  
-Shepard, Garrus, Legion and Seraph fight off a group of mercs, Shepard wounded  
-Mordin completes work on a regenerative retrovirus based on Krogan physiology.**

**Ch 6 – Correspondence  
-Thane disappears  
-Tali receives letter Shepard wrote to her father.**

**Ch 7 – Nor hell a fury…  
-Search for Thane begins.  
-Tali saves Shepard from an assassin ambush**

**Ch 8 – The Contract  
-Omni-tool data confirms that it was a direct attempt on Shepard's life.  
-Tali and Shepard argument  
-Shepard is concerned for her safety, wants her to return to the fleet. She refuses.  
-Samara returns to the ship after hearing about the attempt on Shepard's life.**

**Ch 9 – Kahje  
-Shepard goes to the Hanar to try to track down Thane  
-Tali/Shepard argument resolution.**

**Ch 10 – EDI  
-*censored*'s discussion w/ TIM  
-Brief Tali/Shep conversation (about the letter/food)**


	12. Ep 3: Ch 1: Resurgence

**Episode 3: Ghosts of the Past**

**Chapter 12: Resurgence**

* * *

Thane felt himself slipping back into consciousness. He nearly opened his eyes but something in the back of his head, some instinct honed from his years of experience warned him to keep them closed. The drell heard the faint sounds of someone breathing. Slowly, the assassin allowed his eyes to roll up, catching a glimpse of light through the special translucent membrane on his lower eyelids, a trait common to his species.

He cracked one eye open just enough to catch sight of a batarian mercenary wearing blue and white armor. _Blue Suns. How had he gotten here?_ The drell struggled to wrest the memories from his tattered mind. He could recall stepping into the observation probe. He remembered using a special program he'd prepared for emergencies to launch it and mask the discharge from the ship's computer. _The trip in the pod had been excessively hot, nearly fatally so, and he had passed out somewhere around halfway down._

Thane became aware of a dull ache in his right arm. _The sensation was all too familiar, his limb was broken._ A soft hiss announced the presence of a new individual in the chamber. Krios could hear the voice of another drell asking if he was awake, followed a few moments later by the doors' soft 'swoosh'.

The assassin felt a hand on his shoulder and the other drell spoke again. "It's been a while, boss."

Krios had to consciously avoid moving; _the voice was familiar but he couldn't expose the fact that he was awake, not until he knew more._

The other individual gently shook the assassin's good shoulder, prompting Thane to open his eyes, but received nothing more than a light stirring. "Wake up brother, we have things to discuss."

Thane's eyes snapped open. "Myrik? !"

* * *

Shepard nearly kicked himself for not having thought of it earlier. _Thane's son was the one thing left in the galaxy that could possibly explain the mysterious departure. On a hunch, he'd had EDI access the Normandy's communication logs and found that the drell had indeed received a communiqué from the citadel. The message was unencrypted and consisted of only a single, curved mark with two flanges running from the top and a small glyph attached to the outer edge._

None of the crew could identify the marking, though Mordin had pinned it as being a drell or hanar symbol of some sort. _It was time to pay Captain Armando Bailey a visit._ Shepard left his cabin and took the lift to the CIC. Yeoman Chambers saluted as he stepped from the lift onto the command deck. Before he had even reached the star chart, Joker's voice piped over the comm.

"Commander, We're getting a general distress signal from Charybdis station, one of their IDWS probes."

Shepard winced. _IDWS or 'Immediate Deployment Warning System' probes were almost never launched unless their home station's communications systems were jammed or destroyed, both of which almost invariably signaled hostile activity. Space stations didn't have natural disasters to silence their comms._ "What's the message Joker?"

"Most of it's garbled, something about unidentified hostiles."

_That didn't sound good. Bailey would have to wait._ "Alert the crew and set a course. Get us there ASAP."

"Aye, Aye. ETA to Charybdis station, twenty-three minutes."

* * *

Charybdis station was shaped like a gargantuan, flattened funnel orbiting the pastel-rose colored gas giant Mitane. The shipyard had been operating under Alliance ownership for three years, after having been purchased from the asari and refitted a year later.

Long, thin spines radiated from the station's perimeter, connecting to a small wing of frigates and gunboats that were currently being serviced. Shepard watched the ivory-blue station growing in the cargo hold's view-screen, its bizarre shape true to its mythological Greek namesake.

Even from this distance, he could see the station exchanging fire with an enemy cruiser. Shepard's blood ran cold as the Normandy closed the gap and the outline of the enemy vessel became clear.

The ship's entire length was covered in asymmetric metal panels, giving it the appearance of a makeshift flying can. Massive 'stone' modules rotated around the front of the cruiser, extending beyond its forward guns. The ship's design was all too familiar to the Commander.

Tali watched Shepard's face. She knew what he must be thinking. _The last time the Normandy had engaged these aliens, she'd nearly died._ Everyone in the cargo hold could sense his cold apprehension, despite his expressionless countenance.

That was not to say they were surprised. Everyone was unnerved by the aliens' sudden reappearance. EDI had anticipated the possibility of additional Collector installations and population centers, but had deemed the destruction of their 'home-world' base a crippling blow.

Joker crackled over the comm. "Uhhh Commander, that _looks_ like a Collector ship. Do you wanna call for backup?"

_Shepard wanted nothing more than to put as much distance between them and the Collector ship as physically possible, but he knew his duty._ "Send the message Joker, but we can't wait, take us in."

EDI's hologram sprang into view at the hold's forward projector. "Shepard, internal scans indicate the presence of Collector infantry aboard Charybdis. Their progress into the station suggests they are attempting to disable weapons and life support."

The Commander closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. "We'll take the Hammerhead in; EDI, you and Joker will have to deal with the cruiser."

Tali stepped up to his side. "You're going to leave me here aren't you?"

Shepard looked away. Images of the Collector base resurfaced in his head. A cold hand gripped his heart. _She'd be in danger whether she stayed aboard the Normandy or not._ "Tali, I-" For once, the Commander made no attempt to raise his emotional shield as he answered her. "I won't try to stop you from coming, but I won't be able to keep my head on straight if you do," he whispered.

_The quarian could see the fear in his eyes, the concern for her safety, the anger at being unable to keep his thoughts and surroundings in control._ He looked down. "It's something I should be able to master, to keep in line."

Tali mulled over his words, an old conversation surfacing in her mind. "You're only human, just remember that. You told me yourself, on the first Normandy, you rely on a higher power." Her voice was slightly subdued, but firm. "Remember that. You were at peace then."

Shepard said nothing.

"I'll stay, if you want me to." Her voice was quiet.

"I'd prefer it."

Tali nodded definitively. "Kill some of the _Ruuka_ for me."

* * *

The M-44 Hammerhead blasted into Charybdis' 18th docking bay. Two scions spun to face the assault craft and were greeted by a barrage of high-explosive missiles. Blue-black gore erupted from their heavy armor as the bulbous creatures withered under the hail of explosives.

"Incoming husks detected." The M-44's VI noted. Shepard steered the vehicle to draw a bead on the new hostiles. A quick volley of H-E shells detonated in the midst of the advancing horde, propelling wet bits of flesh and cybernetics outward in a blue-grey cloud.

"All hostiles in the landing bay have been cleared."

Shepard popped the hatch and swung out of the vehicle, scanning the area despite the VI's 'all-clear'. The Commander's caution paid off as a Collector drone bee-lined for the hammerhead, firing an assault rifle. Shepard launched into a run, sprinting for a nearby shipping container. The shots stitched a line along the bulkhead, trailing centimeters behind the Commander. Shepard waited for the fire to stop, spun on his heel and opened up with his Carnifex heavy pistol.

The Collector's skull fragmented as the slugs tore into its brain and John watched the alien's body spin to the landing bay floor. Legion leapt from the M-44 and sighted on the hangar's catwalks, checking for any additional hostiles. "Maintenance ways clear," it called, as Miranda joined them on the metal deck.

Shepard signaled her towards the bay doors across the room and directed Legion to the security panel to their right. EDI filtered in through his headset. "Grunt, Garrus and Jack report no hostiles in docking bay 21. Shall I tell them to proceed?"

The Commander clicked his comm, "Tell them to go-ahead EDI."

Shepard and Miranda took up positions on either side of the door and waited for Legion to signal the all clear. A second later, the geth's voice provided the update. "Light resistance, two husks, one drone."

"Open it."

The hangar doors slid open to reveal the hostiles Legion had indicated, all three with their backs turned. Before the aliens had a chance to react, Miranda charged a biotic push and catapulted them into the back of the hall. Shepard moved in, followed immediately by Miranda and shortly by the geth.

"We're in."

EDI relayed the message to Garrus' squad and Shepard advanced down the narrow corridor, stopping occasionally in one of the door jambs to let Miranda or Legion advance before repeating the process.

* * *

Garrus let Grunt take point as they advanced through the station while Jack brought up the rear. The turian quickly found that the Krogan's bulky form obscured his vision to the front, and settled himself with watching their flanks. Jack remained silent until the group came across their first signs of battle.

"Just like my cell" The room was nearly black, only the faint flickering of a damaged, sparking light provided any illumination. Collector drones and human bodies alike were draped over various cover elements, accompanied by long dried streams of blood.

Grunt huffed and nudged one of the corpses with his foot. "Weak, this one only took three rounds."

A soft scratching sound wafted from one of the darker corners of the room and a pair of Alliance soldiers emerged from the shadows. "Corporal Dirk, Charybdis garrison Bronco. This is private Raine. Glad you're here to help. Those bugs have some nasty tech." He handed one of the Collector's beam weapons to Garrus, who stowed it on his back.

The turian nodded. "We'll take this back to the Normandy, maybe Mordin or Legion can make use of it. You two stay put, we're here to clean out the Collectors, you've done enough."

The Corporal shrugged. "Our orders were to hold the station for reinforcements. That means joining whoever comes to help us, but personally, I'm in no hurry to engage more of those things."

Vakarian thought for a minute, nodded his head, and gestured at Grunt. "We've got it handled. Just don't let any of 'em get in behind us."

The Corporal took one look at the turian and his companions gave a sharp nod. "Sure thing."

* * *

"Shepard Commander, motion tracking indicates more hostiles incoming."

John nodded and brought the team to a halt. Sure enough, he heard the moaning of husks as they drew closer to the door on the right. The first of the creatures entered the hall at the normal lope that was characteristic of the reanimated beings; it was likely that this group was little more than a patrol. Legion drew a line on the husk and fired its sniper rifle.

No sooner had the alien construct's head exploded than the entire group poured into the corridor at full force. Miranda unloaded her SMG as the blue-grey onslaught pressed forward. It didn't take long for Shepard to realize that this group of husks was far more than a small patrol. Despite the volume of fire being unloaded in their direction the enemies pressed deeper into the hall, oblivious to pain or the dismemberment they suffered.

Shepard felt the steady cadence of the assault rifle as it unloaded into one of the abominations, seemingly boiling holes through its body. Flecks of metal, skin and cybernetic fluid sprayed from the oncoming horde as his team rained gunfire down the hall.

The assault rifle beeped in his hands and spat out the spent clip, chirping for another. John wrenched another heat sink from his belt and slid it home, resetting the firearm's digital ammo display from a pair of blinking red zeros to a green '50'.

The Commander raised the rifle to find a husk staring at him point blank. Before he could fire, the cyborg levered a heavy blow to his side, nearly breaking its arm on his chest-plate. Shepard staggered back and loosed a hail of accelerated slugs at the abomination, slicing into its torso and spewing grey-blue ichor on the ground behind it.

The husk collapsed to the ground as a pair of its comrades reached Miranda.

John jerked his arm upward and the husks were lifted from the ground, only to be violently catapulted into their brethren a moment later, accompanied by a concussive wave of sheer biotic power.

The legs of the husks turned into a dull blue powder as the force of the attack ripped through their ranks. Miranda cast the Commander an approving glance as the last of their number toppled to the floor. "Thanks for that."

"Now you see why I wear armor." Shepard smirked and proceeded down the hall, signaling his companions to follow.

John nearly slipped as he passed through the slimy grey ichor left by the disemboweled husks. Just beyond the doorway, the facility's primary processing center stretched out before them. Human and Collector bodies alike lay across the tables, chairs, desks and conveyor belts. The once sterile white lighting of the chamber was dimmed at several spots, obscured by smoke and fire. Some of the lights in the ceiling were sparking or out altogether, hit by gunfire or shrapnel.

Long black scorch marks trailed the room, evidence of the collector's powerful particle beam weapons. A piercing trill sounded through the processing center. Miranda saw a long, sloped shell with rows of parallel ridges forming a washboard-like pattern along the center as it bobbed up and down slowly between metal and glass dividers.

"Damn it!" Shepard groaned, catching a glimpse of the alien's obsidian-blue skin. "That's a Praetorian."

* * *

Revision Note:

**Again, not a whole lot that I was able to add/change in this chapter. Next one should see a fairly substantial addition, I hope. The little addition to the husk fight helped translate just how close the husks had gotten by the end of the fight much better than the original without it.**

* * *

Original Author's Note:

**This chapter was originally meant to be pretty combat heavy, but it turned out to be more of a build up for the next. The husk fight was a pain in the neck to write, I kept deleting sentences and paragraphs because they were too repetitive. Overall, I think the next chapter will be tougher to write, as the Normandy will be taking on the collector cruiser mano-a-mano in addition to the efforts to liberate Charybdis from the collector infantry.**


	13. Ep 3: Ch 2: Intervention

**Chapter 13: Intervention**

* * *

Alliance Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau furiously punched in flight vectors and firing solutions as the frigate danced through space, barely evading the collector ship's particle cannon. How a ship as massive as the cruiser could move so fast was mind boggling, but it still couldn't out-maneuver the Normandy.

The trouble was that every time the ship entered a firing position, the Collector vessel seemed to be in one as well. Joker had already fired at the collector ship several times with the frigate's new Thanix Cannon, but the extreme range he'd been forced to shoot from had limited the weapon's effectiveness.

Another amber particle beam streaked past the ship, barely missing the frigate's prow as Joker banked a hard right. Even with the new plating, the frigate couldn't afford a direct hit from the alien weapon. EDI brought the ship's GARDIAN lasers to bear as the Normandy skimmed past the cruiser. Tiny fissures in the alien ship's hull indicated where the weapons had been focused, but the damage was superficial.

The Collector vessel began to accelerate and turn as the ships passed.

"Oh no you don't!" Joker killed the forward thrust and activated the Normandy's bow thrusters, causing the craft to flip a full 180 degrees. Sweat beaded on the pilot's forehead. "Fire the Thanix EDI!"

EDI flashed to life over the bridge's holo-panel. "Our main armament cannot be brought to bear while the enemy vessel is this close to the station, Jeff. The risk for collateral-."

"NOW!" he bellowed.

"Very well." Even as she spoke, twin beams of blue light projected from the Normandy's underbelly and tore into the collector vessel's engines. Orange flame erupted from the enemy craft, roiling across well over a kilometer as the vessel sped through space.

"Collector vessel is decelerating, they are firing breaking thrusters."

Joker watched as they closed distance with the cruiser. A direct impact at this speed would flatten the Normandy.

"Mother of…" Joker's voice trailed off as he forced the Normandy below the enemy ship, the G-forces stealing the air from his lungs and nearly giving his brittle skeleton a series of stress-fractures.

"Collector vessel's main propulsion drives are off-line. Thanix cannon overheated."

"You really pick your times." Joker moaned. Thin yellow beams chased the Normandy as her pilot brought her up past the right of the enemy craft.

EDI picked up a short wave burst from the shipyard and relayed the message. "Commander, Garrus and his squad report hostile retreat, they are headed towards your position."

"Garrus or the collectors?"

"Both."

Joker wove the Normandy around yet another beam as the connection was severed.

"EDI, you'd _better_ be _spamming_ them with viruses right now!"

"I initiated cyber-warfare protocols as soon as we were in range, Jeff, the collector vessel's systems are extremely difficult to sabotage."

Joker swore under his breath.

"Detecting a power surge to the aft of the ship." EDI's warning came too late.

An amber beam seared across the side of the frigate, burning through the Normandy's right wing.

"We have lost the starboard engines, Jeff."

"I hope Tali's ready for this, rerouting starboard power."

* * *

Shepard ducked behind cover just in time to avoid the hulking Alien's gaze. A shrill screech emanated from the beast's 'mouth' echoing through the room. It was easily three meters long and two wide, large even for a praetorian. Two pairs of cold blue eyes were socketed on either side of the monster's 'head' numbering four in all. The Commander could see the heads of the husks that had been processed and combined to form the abomination staring out through its gaping maw. _The Reapers had no shame, no sense of right and wrong, they simply exerted their will on whatever beings were unfortunate enough to cross their path._

Legion crouched behind a corner as the alien drifted past, hunting for a target. The geth watched as the monster's sloped head bobbed by, glimmering iridescent black. Miranda tried to stifle a gasp as the creature's long, sharp legs cut into the glass by her hiding point, biting into the material just from the slight motion of its passing.

The team heard a long, piercing wail and the praetorian rose to the ceiling, then crashed down to the floor, unleashing a tempest of yellow-orange energy in a concussive shockwave. The creature's biotic attack reverberated through the room, shattering glass and splintering tables. Shepard was thrown from his feet, out into the praetorian's icy gaze.

Without warning, the Collector assault platform charged. Shepard barely dove out of the way as the praetorian speared the wall behind him with its razor sharp limbs. Miranda loosed a hasty biotic push and tried to force the creature deeper into the wall, hoping to trap it in the metal bulkhead.

The monster was barely affected by the attack and proceeded to effortlessly tear open the alloy to free itself. Legion backpedaled away from the Collector, firing its sniper rifle. The praetorian roared and lashed out with its twin particle beams. Legion dive-rolled under the attack and sent another round sailing into the monstrous alien's carapace. A small shard of black armor ricocheted away as the anti-materiel rifle round impacted the same place as its predecessor.

The assault platform leapt at the geth, lashing out with its long, curved legs. Legion found itself pinned to a stationary conveyor belt, one of the praetorian's legs embedded in the hole in the geth's 'chest' cavity. Miranda and Shepard emptied their clips into the monster's hard shell, chipping off bits of black armor.

The Praetorian howled in rage and stabbed at the trapped geth beneath its body, burying the arm deep enough to stick in the conveyor belt's trough. Legion grasped the monster's leg and pulled. Even without the advantage of better leverage, the geth platform's strength enabled it to slow the monster's ascent. Legion re-gripped the limb, placing its hands above and below the joint.

"Shepard Commander! Target the hostile's leg joints!"

Shepard angled around the massive beast and aimed for the base of the praetorian's restrained appendage. High velocity rounds peppered the arm, striking at the unarmored joint. The praetorian roared and sent a biotic blast radiating in all directions. Legion was propelled across the room, still gripping the entirety of the Collector assault platform's leg.

The geth platform tossed the limb aside and again brought its 'Widow' anti-materiel rifle to bear, this time on the gaping wound where the leg had once been. Shepard sent a biotic warp field at the monster, shredding it's internal organs at the molecular level and splitting the empty socket even further. Black blood flowed from the creature's ruptured flesh, spilling across the floor. Miranda's SMG spewed a stream of slugs at the praetorian, sinking hundreds of rounds into the weak point.

As the team poured fire into the beast, its eyes began to dim. A shrill scream began to sound from the creature, but quickly faded in volume, matched in intensity by a yellow topaz aurora that now leaked from its body.

Shepard watched as the abomination finally collapsed to the ground, blue particles of its armor seemingly evaporating into the air. The Commander narrowed his eyes as the blue mist stopped rising, the creature's outer carapace now a thing of memory.

"Shepard Commander, the enemy unit's data cache is intact. Recommend extraction of storage module for later study." Legion held up a football-sized box coated in the collector's gore.

"We'll take it back to the ship and scrub the code, maybe we can get something useful out of it."

"Acknowledged."

EDI burst in through the comm channel. "Commander, Garrus and his squad report hostile retreat, they are headed towards your position."

"Garrus or the collectors?"

"Both."

_The perfect ambush_, Shepard thought.

* * *

Tali braced against the shaking of the ship as the starboard wing was torn off. Even before Joker had decided to divert the power from the right half of the ship, she had directed it to the vessel's shields. The fight wasn't going well and the Normandy could only withstand so much punishment. _If only the frigate's shield operated on a counter frequency to the collector's beam weapon._

The idea struck her a second time, but this time it seemed clearer. "EDI, what frequency are the collector's beams?"

The AI's response was immediate. "Collector particle weapons fire at a pulse frequency of 800 tera-hertz"

Tali scoured the shielding parameters for the Normandy and punched in a series of keys.

"EDI, on my mark, invert the kinetic field projectors."

"That is not advisable, altering the shield output in that manner could destroy the Normandy."

"It's an order from the chief engineer!"

"Acknowledged Miss Zorah, shield inversion prepped."

Tali waited until she saw the tell-tale signature of an energy spike manifest in the hostile vessel's circuitry. "NOW EDI! Reroute all available power to shields."

The beam lanced across the space between the two vessels, a deathblow to an unshielded ship. A green aurora snaked around the Normandy, curling and whisping across the bow to meet the incoming attack.

Static washed over all of the Normandy's displays and the core groaned under the enormous strain. The entire frigate shuddered as sparks poured from the walls. Smoke billowed into the engine room, prompting the automatic fire-suppression systems to come alive.

Outside, the collector's particle weapon scattered, seeming to shatter into thousands of fragments, then reversed direction in a narrow cone of white-green energy. The re-directed weapon seethed with the combined power of both the Normandy and the collector vessel as it cooked a tunnel into the cruiser. White fire licked through small fissures in the vessel. The cataclysmic explosion that followed spun the Normandy away and licked across the human shipyard, charring the soft blue panels that covered its surface.

EDI's voice pushed through the static coming from the speakers. "Collector vessel destroyed, primary systems coming back online. Very impressive Miss Zorah."

"We all do our part," the quarian answered.

* * *

"Scratch one!" Garrus whooped as a drone toppled, a sniper round having drilled a hole through its skull.

Two collectors fell as the second squad released a paired biotic warp, one from Miranda, the other from Shepard. The Collector infantry had divided into two groups almost as soon as the trap was sprung. Now, Shepard and Miranda pushed the smaller group against the bulkhead, corralling them with gunfire and biotics, right into Grunt's waiting shotgun.

Legion and Garrus kept the larger group in check with their sniper rifles, picking off any that dared to stray from their cover for even an instant. Jack was systematically pulling desks, chairs and the occasional metal panel out of the aliens' position, pausing only to fire on the exposed drones.

The aliens' remaining forces quickly withered under the coordinated assault, and it wasn't long before Grunt's shotgun echoed one final time, pulverizing the last Collector in its desperate bid to escape.

The krogan laughed and pulled in a deep breath. "Never knew what hit it."

* * *

Shepard entered the engine room, still covered in the blood and gore from the battle aboard the shipyard. Wires hung from the ceiling. Small fires had scorched the floor and walls, leaving black scars around the deck. Gabby and Ken were methodically tapping keys at their consoles, trying to bring obstinate systems back online. Tali was busily extinguishing the last of a small patch of stubborn flames when he stepped up.

"Hey." He handed her a chemical fire suppressant, which she promptly applied to the area. "I hear you worked miracles with the shields."

Tali chuckled and stood up. He brought his other hand out from behind his back revealing half of a praetorian's limb. "I brought you something. As I recall you asked me to 'Kill some of the Ruuka?'"

The quarian's eyes visibly widened and she brought her hands up to cover the mouthpiece on her helmet. "I said- oh." She gave a nervous laugh. "That's a quarian expletive, one of- no it is the strongest. I, uh, guess I should guard my words a bit, um..."

She felt she would die from embarrassment.

To her relief, Shepard chuckled. "I guess some things carry across cultures easily enough."

* * *

Revision Note:

**The ambush against the Collector infantry was something I'd meant to include in the chapter when I wrote it the first time, but was too lazy.**

Author's Note:

**When I wrote this chapter I knew I couldn't have Tali sit back on the Normandy waiting the fight out whining like a quarian with a tummy ache (I'm standing right here! XD).**

**The end result was quite satisfying, if a bit rough. I'm VERY happy with the way the praetorian fight turned out, I wanted to convey the beast's incredible power without making it sound like a starship, and it seemed to have just the right balance. Chapter 13 will be a little more focused on Thane, brace yourself.**


	14. Ep 3: Ch 3: Catharsis

**Chapter 14: Catharsis**

* * *

While technically space-worthy, the Normandy was in bad shape. Unlike the damage suffered during the suicide mission, several hull panels had been shaved off, others abraded and still more melted. The Thanix cannon had overheated as well and was taken off-line until the entirety of the frigate's electronics were restored, something Garrus was less than pleased about.

Repairs to the ship were markedly lengthier than the last time the ship had been sent into dry-dock. Loss of the starboard engines alone added two weeks to the projected completion date. Thankfully, Tali and Legion were able to speed up the process by retrieving some of the debris that had been torn from the Ship.

In less than a week and a half, the SR-2 was back in fighting shape and Shepard had resumed his course to the Citadel. Captain Bailey was hard at work coordinating a sting on a local drug cartel when he arrived and John had to wait another three days before getting to see the C-sec officer.

By the time Shepard finally got to see him, Bailey was a mess. The C-sec officer's eyes were bloodshot and his normally short-cropped hair was a full centimeter and a half longer than usual.

"Morning commander," Bailey's gruff voice seemed subdued.

"You look like you got into a fight with a nathak."

The officer offered a weak chuckle. "I just spent two weeks hunting down a drug ring that we _thought_ was contained in the Zakera ward. You'll forgive me if I look a little sloppier than usual." Bailey managed to look up from his desk. "So, what can I do for you?"

Shepard nodded, understanding. "I'm looking for Kolyat."

"The drell boy?" Bailey seemed to perk up at the mention of Thane's son. "He's been a real trooper the past few months, eager to help however he can. Assigned him to maintenance work in the factory district. He's due back in…" The officer tapped a few keys. "Oh wait, he should be back already. One sec," he thumbed a button on the side of his desk. "Bring Kolyat up here please."

A smooth female voice answered. "Kolyat? He was scheduled to return two days ago, we put out a bulletin, but we haven't seen him."

Shepard clenched his jaw. "This just got a lot more complicated."

* * *

Thane sat in the passenger compartment of the shuttle. Myrik had been civil enough, but then, most of their kind was. Neither drell had had an easy time disguising their animosity towards each other. As children, the brothers had always struggled as rivals, each competing to out-perform the other in training. Despite years of separation, or maybe because of it, the old hatred had never truly healed.

Despite their past, Myrik had offered to provide transport to the Citadel at no cost.

"_I can get you a shuttle..."_

"_You never did anything for free, Myrik. What are you asking for in exchange?"_

_Thane's brother shrugged. "Just call it a favor."_

Thane knew better than to believe the other drell was acting out of charity. Sure enough, Krios soon discovered one of what was surely a multitude of tracking devices hidden in his personal effects. The assassin wasn't worried about the bugs; he knew how to wipe their signals. _A parlor trick really._

_What did concern him, however, was the fact that he'd received the Touraj when he was nearing Osiris. His brother's presence there could not have been simple coincidence._

_Nearly as troubling was that Myrik had taken no _serious_ effort to conceal the tracking devices. He was smart; he'd received the same training as Thane and despite failing to match his brother, he had kept his skills sharp. Myrik was trying to tell him something, but what? A threat? A warning?_

Thane allowed his thoughts to drift to his son. _The message he'd received had come from the citadel, but he suspected it had been relayed from a different location. Only a single curved symbol had graced the screen when he'd opened the correspondence. He'd recognized it immediately as a_ _Touraj_.

The Touraj was an ancient drell signal, used only in challenges to mortal combat. The version of the symbol that Thane had received had been modified to include a glyph depicting Kolyat's name. Evidently, Kolyat had wronged someone severely enough that the ancient rite was deemed necessary. _Only five individuals had ever seen the exact mark Thane had received. Two were dead, Myrik was one and himself another. The fifth…_ He seethed with anger at the thought of the fifth.

_It would be a cold day in the shallows of Kahje before he forgave the one responsible for Ihrika's death._

* * *

Kasumi Goto lay back along the leather couch, one of the ancient novels that Keiji had 'procured' for her in her hands. She inhaled deeply, drawing in the scent of aged paper as she leaved through the old book. It was one of the things she enjoyed most; curling up with a good story, accompanied by nothing other than the soft sounds of recorded rain wafting from the observation port's speakers.

The thief picked up where she'd left off in the old book, savoring texture of the tanned yellow pages, finding almost as much of a story in them as in the words she'd read dozens of times before. A quiet beep indicated someone outside wished entrance. Kasumi sighed. "Who is it?"

"It's Tali." Goto smiled when the quarian's voice came through the door. _She always enjoyed talking with the engineer. They were both close in age, and she found Tali's oft energetic persona 'uplifting,' so-to-speak._

"So," The thief smiled as she sat up, closing the book after noting her page. "What's new?"

The quarian took up her usual seat on the couch perpendicular to Goto. "Nothing much, the engines are still running fine, power draw is normal."

Goto grunted in affirmation. "Crewman Dawne said you sat in on Shepard's prayer meeting this morning."

"I'm still thinking about it. It's given me a lot to consider." Tali mused before noting the book next to the thief. "What's that?"

Kasumi looked down at the ancient novel. _Gone with the Wind._ "An old book, we wrote stories on paper before we got data pads."

"I know what a book is," Tali said, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"It's an old love story. Something Keiji got me before he died."

"May I?" Tali stretched out a hand.

Kasumi tentatively offered the book to the quarian. "It's very fragile, be gentle with it."

Tali leafed through the novel, delicately turning the pages. "This isn't, what is John's native tongue? English?"

Goto smiled. "Nope. That- is Japanese." She scooted over to the corner of the couch, pointed to one of the symbols and began reciting it in the tongue of her homeland.

Tali's eyes widened. _Kasumi had always spoken in the universal trade language or in English, Shepard's native tongue, but claimed that she was well versed in the main turian and salarian dialects as well. To learn that the woman was fluent in yet another language was impressive to say the least._

"Just how many languages do you know?" She blurted.

Kasumi grinned. "Seven."

Tali simply shook her head. "No wonder you win so often at Skyllian five."

Kasumi laughed. "Speaking of…"

* * *

"Beaten again," engineer Ken Donnelly sulked away from the makeshift poker table in the center of the observation deck. Kasumi laughed.

"You should play less often Ken, I think we're getting to know your bluffs a little too well."

Gabby scoffed. "If you've picked up on his bluffs that well already, maybe we should play _partners_ more often." She cast a teasing glance at Shepard and Tali.

Shepard pushed away from the table and stretched as he stood up. "I'm gonna turn in for the night."

"I really enjoyed that John," Tali smiled as they left the room. "The look on your face when I played a flush…" She laughed, a beautiful, musical lilt that vaguely reminded Shepard of wind chimes.

"I'm just glad you didn't bet the praetorian's arm." He joked. "It would've taken up a bit too much of the table," The couple stepped into the elevator and waited as it descended to the engineering deck.

"You sure you wouldn't rather sleep in the crew's quarters? One of the sleeper pods maybe?"

Tali tilted her head in a display of exasperation. "We've been over this a hundred times."

"I know, it's just, I think of you sleeping in that cramped space…" He shook his head slightly.

"I'm fine, really, I don't want to inconvenience the crew."

Shepard let the issue drop as the doors slid apart. "Good night." He leaned forward and planted a kiss on the top of her helmet. The quarian hung her head.

"I _hate_ that." She said softly.

"I- I'm sorry, I didn't-"

Tali lifted her hands "No, not-" She sighed. "Every time you take my hand, kiss my helmet, take my shift in engineering, I- it reminds me of how little I've done for you, how little I _can_ do for you."

"It's not a contest Tali; I do these things because I want to, because I care for you."

"I know, but- try to look at it through the eyes of a quarian. We spend our entire lives aboard our ships. We don't have much and what little we do have, we share. There's a word in our society for people who take and don't give back, an _exile_. I just can't help but feel that I've been doing all of the taking in this relationship."

Shepard frowned. "You've put your life on the line more times than anyone can count; you were willing to risk exile to preserve your father's reputation. Everything you've done, you've done for the fleet, for your people, for me. You've devoted your life to giving to others. I know it's hard for you, but you need to be _willing_ to take something for once."

A long moment of silence passed before Tali spoke, her words earnest and sincere.

"And what about you, John? Why can't _you_ take something? I _want_ to be able to give you something, to be able to do things for you. You do so much to show me that you care, returning the favor is…" _My joy._ For some obscure reason, her mind blanked out, she couldn't think of the words in the common trade language, so she muttered it in the ancient tongue. "Sheil'alta."

Shepard's translator stumbled over the words; it hadn't been programmed with ancient Khelish.

_Another pause._ He looked into her eyes. "All I need from you is for you to love and respect me the same as you always have, nothing more, nothing less. Remember, you mean much more to me than a crack engineer. I love you, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, don't ever forget that."

She stared longingly into his eyes. _Keelah, she loved him!_ "I know, and I love you too… Just… try to think of something I can do for you, for my sake."

He nodded. "I'll try."

* * *

Revision Note:

**When I first wrote the engine-room discussion between Tali and Shepard, I was immensely pleased with how much Tali's 'eyes of a quarian' speech sounded like something straight from the game. Even after having read it dozens of times, I'm still convinced it's some of my best work. **

**I'm struggling to convey the idea that Shepard is more angry at himself than guilty concerning Tali's injury. He feels like he should be in control, knows he isn't, but can't admit it to himself. It's proving itself quite a frustrating bit of exposition.**

Original Author's Note:

**The chapter didn't end up featuring Thane as much as planned, but that's not really surprising anymore. I've changed and tweaked the outline for the story more times than I care to think. I've posted the outlines for Chapters 1-10 (in the end-notes for Ch 10) so that you can get a glimpse of how I've been developing the story. (Mind you it has been censored to avoid spoiling details about later chapters.)**


	15. Ep 3: Ch 4: Admiral

**Chapter 15: Admiral**

* * *

"They aren't a part of the fleet anymore, why should they have a say?" Siiro'Naleas vas Yalta, conclave representative of the frigate Yalta was incensed. _To think that the Mithrean's representative was actually being given any attention…_

"The Mithrean is missing, that does not mean their Captain has decided to leave the fleet. They are a scout ship after all."

Siiro marked the speaker as Hema'Shul vas Moreh. _Daro'Xen's puppet._

Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay ascended the narrow ramp leading up to the conclave chamber. She could hear the heated debate even through the supposedly sound-proof door as she neared the entrance. The doors parted grudgingly, groaning from overuse and half-hearted oilings.

A hush fell over the chamber as the Admiral descended the stairs into the squared auditorium. Shala proceeded to the center of the assembly and addressed the crowd in a somber tone.

"This meeting of the conclave was called for the sole purpose of determining the next admiral to join the board. Instead, all I've received are reports that you are discussing anything and everything else." She glared at the conclave members, some of whom hung their heads.

"Admiral Rael'Zorah vas Rayya has been dead for more than four months and this star-system will not support us much longer and Lera'Miil can only serve as proxy three more days. We _must_ have a new admiral on the board by the end of the week if we are to select a new location for the fleet. If you cannot make a decision, the admiralty will be forced to pick our fifth member _with or without_ your consent."

Shala paused to let the assembly ponder her words. "Now, have you nominated any to join us, or will I have to tell the other admirals to begin our own deliberation?"

One of the representatives stood and bowed his head in a sign of respect, four others stood, bowed their heads and knelt. "The Andras humbly submits its nomination of Captain Kiiro'Jule vas Ocrid." The quarian indicated the four individuals kneeling around him "We are supported in this nomination by the representatives of the Ulnay, Netoa, Garad, and Firrah."

A murmur rippled through the conclave as various members voiced their agreement or dissent. Shala raised her hands to silence the rising volume of the chamber.

No single representative was permitted to nominate a potential admiral. A minimum of five conclave members had to be in agreement on the individual in question to legalize the nomination, and Kiiro's supporters had met those standards. "The floor recognizes the nomination of Captain Kiiro'Jule vas Ocrid to the position of Admiral of the Board. Are there any other nominations?"

Three other representatives rose, each with their accompanying supporters. Shala recognized the first to stand. "Who does the Ichtome nominate?"

"The representative of the Ichtome humbly proposes that Tali'Zorah vas Normandy receive the position. In this we are supported by the Alarei, Androka, Rayya, Mithrean, Morana and Idenna" The other quarians who had stood knelt, a sign that they had intended to nominate the young woman as well.

"The floor recognizes the nomination of Tali'Zorah vas Normandy to the position of Admiral of the Board." A hint of excitement crept into the elder quarian's voice. "Are there any other nominations?"

One other group of quarians rose, but their fourth and fifth members refused to follow suit, forcing the others to sit. None of the other representatives rose from their seats. "Good, now if you will all vote on the nominee of your choice, this meeting can be adjourned."

At this point, the vote was little more than a formality. The number of representatives in Tali's favor, sheerly by the number that intended to nominate her, far outweighed that of Jule. The entire conclave seemed to light up as the representatives collectively activated their omni tools and cast their votes. The result fed over the HUD in each of the quarian's helmets. Shala'Raan smiled behind her mask. This was a great day for the quarian people.

* * *

The mess hall was empty except for the lone quarian bent over the data-pads when Yeoman Kelly Chambers entered. The Yeoman walked over to the coffee pot, poured a cup and took a seat opposite the quarian.

As far as Chambers could tell, the chief engineer was pouring over language charts.

"Can I interrupt?"

Tali started, evidently she'd been so absorbed in the material that she hadn't noticed Kelly enter. "Sorry, I'm a bit distracted. What can I do for you?"

Chambers took a sip of the coffee then nodded at the data-pads on the table. "What're you working on?"

Tali thought for a moment before answering. "Promise not to tell any one?"

"As long as it doesn't endanger the crew."

"It won't, I just- I want it to be a surprise." Tali slid one of the tablets over to Kelly, whose eyes widened. A faint smile began to cross the human's lips as she saw the charts detailing declensions, masculine, feminine and neuter pronouns and syntax structure.

"Tali, this isn't easy stuff for most humans, let alone a quarian. What're you learning it for?"

"_Who_ would have been the better question."

"Shepard?"

The quarian's silent nod was all the answer Kelly needed.

"Tali, that's _really_ sweet."

"I figure it's the least I can do, he's done a lot for me. I got the idea from a conversation I had with Kasumi a few days ago."

"I can help you learn it if you want."

Tali's eyes danced behind the violet face-plate. "You'd do that?"

"Sure, I don't have a lot to do besides tell the Commander when he has a new message." The Yeoman rose from her seat, data-pad in hand, and proceeded to take a seat next to the quarian.

"Now?" Tali seemed incredulous.

"Why not?"

"It's kind of late…"

"Doesn't seem to be stopping you." Chambers teased. "So, where are you?"

"I just started-" The quarian stopped as something on one of the data-pads caught her eye. "Keelah! I'm sorry, I need to go. Talk later?"

Chambers was flustered, "Um, Okay…"

* * *

"The vote was quite one-sided, I thought you'd be happier."

"I'm honored Shala, but I'm _not_ happy." Tali shook her head. "The nomination puts me in a very difficult position. What will I tell Shepard- the crew even?"

"Tell them the truth, Tali. I'm sure they'll be very happy for you."

"John wanted me to go back to the fleet, he's- he thinks his presence is endangering me."

"Then you have nothing to worry about, child. Besides, it's what your father would have wanted."

"You know I can't leave, the Reapers are still out there and… John needs me here." _I need him…_

"Tali, Han'Gerrel and myself have never doubted the Reapers' existence, but I don't know what Kiiro's stance on them is. Daro'Xen and Zaal'Koris are still on the fence about it. If Kiiro gets the position instead of you, we risk a great deal."

"I- I know, but, I can't just leave them. The Reapers-…" She sighed. "I love him Shala. If I left now… I'll call you back when I've made the decision."

"Very well, but do not take too long. Be at peace Tali, Keelah se'lai."

"Keelah se'lai." Tali switched off the comm system and sat down in a huff. The offer to serve on the admiralty board had not come as a surprise; ever since her trial, she'd heard rumors that she might be the first selection for the position. Tali considered her options.

_If she left, Shepard would adjust, his concern for her safety would be alleviated. Her people needed another admiral, and, though she hated to admit it, she really was the best choice. __As Shepard had so poignantly stated, s_he knew more about the geth than any other quarian alive, and she knew about the Reapers. On the flipside, leaving would force her to readjust to life on the flotilla yet again, leaving the man she loved behind, all to debate boring politics and the occasional navigation decision. 

_The Normandy would still function without her, perhaps not as efficiently, but it wouldn't break down. Of course, on a ship this advanced, efficiency was a huge concern._

Shepard kept crawling back into her mind. _There is no way in the four hells that I am leaving your side!_ The memory of their earlier conversation surprised her. Tali shut her eyes, squeezing the lids together as she tried to focus. _Could she really leave him? If she returned to the fleet, her thoughts would constantly be drawn back to the man. There was no way she could make an important decision rationally if she was incessantly worrying about him._ She heard herself try to dismiss the last thought as an excuse, but took little note.

_This would have been so much easier if she'd been exiled, the option would never have even come up._ _It was not_ unheard _of for a quarian to decline the station, but it almost invariably resulted in the individual in question being looked down on. She could endure the shame of refusing the position, but could she live with the guilt, knowing that she had, for all intents and purposes, abandoned her people? No, not abandoning them_, she reminded herself, _Her work aboard the Normandy was crucial to their ultimate survival_.

She found herself cold and lonely. It was the night shift, a position that had her working alone on the engineering deck while everyone else slept. Occasionally, Shepard would venture down to take her shift at such times to allow her to catch some shut-eye. _Maybe I should talk to him_. The thought enticed her. _No, he'll just tell me to accept the position, it's a choice I have to make for myself_.

"_I Love you Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, don't you ever forget that_._"__ She belonged here. She was _needed_ here, and she needed Shepard. _Tali closed her eyes for a minute, gathering her strength._ I'm sorry Shala,_ she rehearsed. _I can't._

* * *

Shepard continued to pour over the notes recovered from the mercs on Osiris. Ever since meeting Tali for the second time on Freedom's Progress, he'd realized just how much he cared for her wellbeing. _His discussion with her in the engine room the day following the Osiris incident had been his last, desperate attempt to protect her, and to a lesser degree, himself from what he'd then thought would be a tragic ending._

_Tali's ferocious loyalty had shown him that he couldn't truly leave her. No matter how dangerous the mission, she was the sail that kept him going._ He glanced at the encryption key again, struggling to pinpoint exactly what about it was so familiar.

John's thoughts drifted to his first meeting with the quarian. _A dark, dank hall on the citad_- The answer to the encryption key's location sprang into his mind. _The last time he'd seen the sequence was the first time he'd received an official communication from the council's Special Tactics and Reconnaissance division. __This code belonged to a Spectre!_

* * *

Revision Note:

**Most of the revisions in this chapter were minor. I've taken to adding a few sentences here and there where they work, in hopes of slowing the story down (even if only slightly) and generally 'allow the reader to pause for breath', to paraphrase a friend.**

Author's Note:

**Goodness this was a tough one to write! Odds are I'll be reworking several bits, so keep your eyes peeled for updates.**

**The section where Tali debates the offer was meant to be significant in terms of character development, particularly to show her independent nature as well as her soft side. Lemme know how I can improve it.**

**One last thing, How'd you like the (partial) reveal? :) /slysmile**


	16. Ep 3: Ch 5: Brigand

**Chapter 16: Brigand**

* * *

Thane sat in the Zakera ward's 28th floor, periodically applying a small cloth to the corner of his mouth. The handkerchief was quickly becoming saturated with the drell's blood. He'd had the bleeds before, on average they lasted ten minutes, usually triggered when he was exposed to too much moisture.

Kepral's Syndrome was an unforgiving beast. To keep the disease at bay, Thane had to avoid humid environments that could encourage the growth of the bacterial infection in his lungs. Moisture excited the pathogens, sending them into a breeding frenzy that released the toxins responsible for the bleeds. Breathing became difficult during such periods, forcing him to take a seat to wait out the bacterial assault.

A young man stopped in front of the assassin. "Krios?"

Thane immediately recognized the boy's voice. Mouse. The 'duct rat,' as he was known to C-sec, was a self taught expert on relaying sensitive information. The drell looked up to see the young man's recently clean-shaven face.

"Good to see you well."

"You're bleeding," Mouse stated simply. "You okay?"

"I've been dying for the past eight years Mouse, I probably only have nine months left."

"Oh, gosh, I'm- is there anything I can do to help?"

"Kolyat has gone missing again. I need to find him before- before they do."

"I saw him in the factory district about a week ago, said he was getting off in a day or so."

"A cold trail, but a trail nonetheless. Thank you Mouse."

The young man nodded somberly. "Yeah, you uh, take care of yourself."

Thane did not respond, but checked the cloth he'd been using to see if there was any fresh blood. Seeing none, he stood up from the bench and silently blended into the crowd, giving the young man a simple nod as he left. Mouse watched as the drell faded from view, lost in an ocean of faces.

* * *

Thane rounded the corner of the warehouse junction, fully aware of the cameras directly above him. He stopped, looking for the next set of blind spots, carefully mapping out the route in his head. He waited for the camera above him to begin its rotation back, then dove into the next position. The voices were drawing closer. Even with all of his training, the drell had no way of avoiding the sensitive noses of the krogan guarding the warehouse.

_Sooner or later, he'd have to knock them out._ The assassin reached into his vest and withdrew a pair of small pins, each barely a millimeter wide at the base and tapering into a wire-thin needle. _The nerve agent inside wouldn't be sufficient to kill anyone, much less a krogan, but he didn't need them to kill._

Thane waited until the first of the hulking beasts had closed to within three meters, then cast one of the darts over the crate behind which he'd taken shelter. Moments later, the needle fell back from the ceiling and found its mark. Krios waited for the krogan to topple, drawing the attention of its teammate. A second dart summarily terminated the other alien's examination.

With the guards at least temporarily incapacitated, Thane resumed his hunt. He still took care to avoid the camera's merciless glare but was far less concerned about detection now that the krogan were no longer on his tail.

Just to be on the safe side, the assassin fished through his vest and counted his remaining knockout darts. Four were left. The drell moved the darts to a small pocket on his sleeve and proceeded through the warehouse.

* * *

The turian watched as his prey neared the processing center. If he'd judged correctly, the drell would take shelter from the cameras' piercing gaze in the glass cubicles aligned in a neat row along the right side of the room. He punched in a short code, sending a message to the consoles at each computer, then waited.

* * *

The crates started to grow thin, forcing the assassin to check for other options. To the right, a forty foot wall of shipping crates were stacked semi-haphazardly with only the occasional 'fork-lift' or truck breaking the multicolored stretch. To the right lay a series of glass cubicles, each boasting a secure data terminal. Between these two fixtures, the warehouse floor was empty, barring the occasional shipping crate.

_Still no sign of Kolyat, or of C-sec._ Thane knew the trail was likely too cold to find the boy directly, but whoever sent the Touraj would know what he was searching for and would show up sooner or later. _Ultimately, he wasn't even searching for Kolyat, he was searching for the sender. That would lead him to his son._

Krios wasn't sure what made him decide to check the terminals, but his mind was quickly set. _Perhaps the sender left a message on one of- No, that was wishful thinking, almost no-one possessed the skills to follow him, let alone undetected. Then again, he'd ended up in the last place Kolyat was seen, it would make sense for his tormentor to leave a clue here… perhaps the other was simply playing with his prey…_

Thane watched as the cameras traced their mechanized paths, overlapping roughly every thirty seconds. Again he waited until they reached their optimal position before sprinting to the relative safety of the steel desk inside one of the cubicles.

The cameras stopped moving and the cold realization that his suspicions of being followed were correct planted itself deep in his mind. _There would definitely be a message… unless he was about to be sniped._

The assassin looked over the lip of the desk at the computer screen. His blood ran hot as he watched the various symbols on the panel assemble into the Touraj.

"Good evening, Mr. Krios." The turian's voice echoed through the terminal's speakers as his face materialized on the screen behind the symbol. The Touraj faded, leaving only the visage of the man Thane hated the most in the entire galaxy, the man he had sworn to rend limb from limb ten years ago.

"Veraidian Nurem. I thought you died in the Scylla nebula." He felt the anger in his voice, but made no effort to restrain it. "Where is my son?"

"Straight to business, you haven't changed a bit." Veraidian's voice dripped condescension. "Kolyat is safe, for the moment. In the mean-time, I have a business proposition for you."

"Bastard! Where is my son!" Thane roared.

"You'll get to see him," Veraidian vanished from the screen. A moment later, he appeared in front of the cubicle. The Turian's mandibles flared in the equivalent of a smile. "Before you die. But as I said, I have a proposition, an exchange, if you will."

_Krios knew the Spectre was trying to goad him, trying to make him lose his focus, and it was working. He had to end this quickly, before the turian got any deeper into his head._ Thane made a subtle motion with his wrist, casting two of the knock-out darts at the turian. Veraidian stood mockingly as the darts bounced off of his armor.

"I've come to expect more from y-"

The turian's words were cut short as Thane released an ocean of biotic fury. The steel desk in front of the drell seemed to melt apart as the blue energy shredded through the air. Nurem barely had time to form his own biotic field before the wave crashed over him. If the barrier had been completely formed, the turian might have escaped the attack unscathed, barring fatigue.

As it happened, the impromptu biotic shield was barely sufficient to save his life. Veraidian could feel the skin peeling from his face as Thane's wrath ripped through the room.

The assassin leapt over the smoldering slag of the desk, a long, serrated knife in his left hand. Nurem ducked under the drell's blade, bringing his fist to his opponent's stomach. Krios doubled over for a half second before lashing out with his leg. Blood was beginning to find its way into the turian's eyes, stinging and obscuring his vision.

Veraidian stumbled as his leg was swept out from under him. With a grunt, he rammed forward, using the momentum from his fall to increase the speed of his attack, hoping that the drell was still in front of him. Thane saw the motion and sidestepped the lunge, bringing his knife down on his enemy's exposed right side. Nurem grunted as the hardened steel penetrated up through the rubber seals at his midsection, making a shallow cut in his lower back.

His eyes had begun to water, gradually clearing the blood from his vision as it began to rapidly clot on his forehead. Adrenaline helped to numb the pain as he turned, trying to wrest the knife from Thane's grasp. The motion ended up pulling the weapon across the seal and the turian felt the blade make contact with his ribs. Veraidian grasped Krios's wrist and twisted sharply to the right, breaking the drell's hold on the knife.

Thane was un-phased and spun left, bringing the elbow of his still-injured right arm to the back of Nurem's head with a grunt. The turian moaned, and lashed out with the knife he had managed to extricate from his back. Blue-violet blood jetted from the ruptured seal of his armor and Thane saw small shreds of flesh still hanging from the serrated side of the blade as he dodged.

The turian made several swings at his adversary, but the blood that was still in his eyes prevented him from accurately judging his opponent's movements. Ironically, the drell's rage was probably the one thing keeping the fight from ending in his favor. Thane couldn't think, much less fight at full capacity in his enraged state.

Krios lashed out with a punch, stepping forward with the opposite foot. His adversary feinted back, caught the drell's extended wrist and swung his shin into Thane's. The motion took less than half a second, but it was enough to send the assassin tumbling forward. To his credit, the drell swiftly tucked into a roll before hitting the ground; ending the motion in a leap that landed him outside the cubicle.

Nurem rapidly formed a biotic barrier, bracing for the drell's inevitable assault. The Spectre's defense was completed none too soon as a biotic warp melted through the glass wall of the cubicle from the outside. The glittering cascade of glass that showered down obscured Veraidian's vision long enough to allow Thane to close the distance and land a pair of targeted punches to his face and waist.

The turian stumbled back and ducked another blow before lashing out with his knife, but caught only air.

Veraidian swung again and the drell instinctively raised his right arm to deflect the blow. Nurem pulled the blade back at the last second, making the weapon bite into the Krios' forearm. Thane let out a sharp cry and swung the injured arm up, opening Nurem's guard.

Thane struck at his adversary's throat with an open palm, impacting the other alien's trachea. On most individuals, this would have been a killing blow, crushing the windpipe tended to wreak all kinds of havoc on the body.

His opponent, however, was merely stunned by the blow and released the knife, clutching his neck with both hands and sinking to his knees.

"Go to the sea." Thane's eyes burned as he brought a biotic punch down on Nurem's head.

Before the fist could impact, Veraidian rolled to the side, still clutching his throat with one hand. Too late, Thane saw one of the knock-out darts in the turian's other hand. The small metal projectile flew straight for the drell's exposed neck, almost instantly piercing his scaly flesh. Krios could feel himself slipping away, the murky blackness crawling in at the edges of his vision. _Not like this! He couldn't die like this!_ His last thoughts fled his mind as the drug stole his consciousness.

* * *

Veraidian stood over the drell's body, contemplating the fight. He'd already sealed both his and the assassin's wounds with medigel. _His words had sparked the drell's rage, as intended, and the assassin had improved since their last fight, but would it be enough? Would Thane really kill for his son?_

_Thane was willing enough to kill him,_ the turian mused, _Granted, he'd killed the man's wife, but still… Any half-hearted effort would be insufficient. The drell would have to be fully committed._ Veraidian pulled a small holo of Kolyat from a storage pocket in his armor, along with the message he'd prepared for just this occasion, and slipped it into Thane's vest. _Now to go deal with the Krogan,_ he thought. He pulled a small hypodermic syringe from his belt and filled it with enough lethal nerve agent to put down three pairs of the aliens. _Can't have them interfering now can I?_

* * *

Revision Note:

**I actually got the idea for the fight's expansion from someone other than DA this time. Yeah, shocker... anyways... Evidently he got in trouble for using his self defense training when someone threw a punch at him... /rollseyes. Long story short, that anecdote found its way into the 1v1. The expansion on Kepral's syndrome was derived only in small part from the codex.**

Author's Note:

**Thane's side story is developing nicely. Granted, few if any of you probably know **_**exactly**_** what's going on, but I imagine some of you are beginning to assemble the pieces.**

**Also, added to the fight-scene between Thane and Veraidian. When I wrote the fight the first time, I kept reminding myself to mention how veraidian's bleeding was impacting the struggle. Somehow, it never got there. This has now been corrected, enjoy!**


	17. Ep 4: Ch 1: Ancient Khelish

**Episode 4: Persuasion**

**Chapter 17: Ancient Khelish**

* * *

Commander John David Shepard, captain of the Normandy, savior of the Citadel, scourge of the Reapers was scared. Terrified even. He'd made up his mind, but several thoughts tried to dissuade him. John struggled in vain to ignore the debate that raged in his head.

_He couldn't go through with it. Her life would always be in danger. They were both soldiers. She would always be with him regardless of the situation_. Shepard's tortured mind raced as he donned a formal dress uniform. _It was unfair to ask her. She might ask__ **him** __soon_.

_What about religion? Tali had been regularly attending the prayer meetings ever since sitting on the ones he'd held in the med bay. Her questions about his faith were becoming more and more frequent, more and more serious. She was getting close, he could feel it._ He bit his lip.

John poured over his notes, playing the phonetic recordings over and over again. _What if he screwed up? Pronounced something wrong? Was that considered as severe as using the language in the wrong context? Funny how one woman could do this to him_.

Shepard checked the holographic clock on the bedside table. 2130. He checked the drawer of the bedside table. Sure enough, the small, black velvet box rested comfortably in the corner. He stared at the object, contemplating it before finally reaching down and plucking it from its resting place.

He snapped the lid open for a moment, checking the box's contents, then sighed as the familiar glint caught his eye. His heart quickened as he stood in front of the mirror, straightening his dress uniform. _How did he look? Would she even notice?_

John closed his eyes and sighed, straightening his outfit again for what felt like the hundredth time. To say that he would have felt more comfortable taking on a praetorian at the moment was an understatement. He eyed the brandy he'd poured for himself, a safeguard to help him get up the courage to ask her should he need it.

For a few moments, he seriously contemplated the rich amber liquid in the glass. _No. _With a slight frown, he walked over, grabbed the glass, entered the bathroom and poured it down the sink. _He'd given up that habit over two years ago. He would rely on the same strength he used when going into battle._

_**Where **__**do you get that strength?**_

He stopped for a minute; the question rang in his mind. _He knew the answer, and who had asked._ The Commander closed his eyes and bowed his head. _If it's your will, give me the guts._

He took one more deep breath and stepped into the elevator before selecting the engineering deck.

"EDI, is she ready?"

"Miss Zorah is waiting at the elevator landing." The AI's smooth voice replied.

Shepard inhaled deeply several times, trying vainly to calm himself as the butterflies returned to his stomach. The elevator doors slid open, framing the lithe form of the quarian. She had chosen her white veil for the evening. John checked his pulse subtly.

The Commander's mind was too frayed for him to make any conscious attempt at concealing his apprehension and Tali was keenly aware that something had him unsettled. A look of concern crossed her features, unseen behind the violet mask of her helmet as she joined him in the lift. "What's wrong?"

Her question seemed to shake him from his pensive stupor. "Hmmm? Oh! Nothing!" He offered a quick smile and took her hand, a rare gesture.

His grip seemed stronger than usual as the lift carried them to the CIC.

* * *

Shepard had chosen a small, enclosed garden park on the presidium with air-filters running constantly as the destination. The flora inside the clean-zone were too fragile for the grounds-keepers to allow them to grow in an uncontrolled environ. Shepard and Tali stood silently as the thin UV beams traced across their bodies, systematically destroying any foreign matter on their persons. The Commander waited for the decontamination chamber to open, a solitary VI informing them that it was now safe to enter the clean area.

John hadn't chosen the locale in anticipation of anything in particular, but on the advice of a one Councilor Anderson, who had it on good authority that two or three plant species native to Rannoch were maintained here. Surveying the vegetation, he was at a loss to identify any species of flora over another that might be indigenous to the quarian home world.

He took Tali's hand and led her over to one of the benches surrounding a large, crystalline fountain. He strained to hear the air filters over the gentle rushing of the water.

"Tali I… " The time had come; he couldn't put it off any longer. "Let me see your translator." He held out his hand.

Tali tilted her head. "Why?"

"Just… please?"

All species in citadel space were required to learn the common trade language if they entered any branch of their respective militaries or governments. To help overcome the language barrier for civilians, however, each race had designed universal translators with top-of-the-line voice recognition software. Nearly every sapient being that left its home planet acquired some such translator at some point.

_Why was he asking to see hers? She and John almost always communicated in the common language, reverting to their native tongues only when an idea or concept couldn't be communicated otherwise. It was at these points that their translators came into play._

Tentatively, she unclipped the device from her belt, severing its connection with the earpiece in her helmet, then handed it to him. Shepard proceeded to turn the device off and muted his own. Tali's confusion grew when he knelt in front of her, taking her hands and gazing into her eyes. Tali thought her heart would stop as he started to speak; his words came in the form of the ancient tongue. _ He had actually been learning the language of her people!_

"Tali'Zorah, we've been through hell and back over the last three- five years. You've been with me every step of the way. You've trusted me when I couldn't trust myself, reminded me what I'm- what we're fighting for."

The ancient Quarian syllables spilled from his lips in a halting manner. He'd rehearsed what he was saying, that much was clear, but there was pent up emotion in his voice. Tali knew that he was trying to say something important, but she doubted that he understood the sacred nature of the archaic words that he was struggling to use.

"John," she interrupted, "Ancient Khelish-… that dialect-… it hasn't been used in common speech among my people in almost three centuries, it's considered sacrilege to use it any time other than a-" Her voice faltered as the realization dawned on her. "Khelat-Bond pro-… po-… sal." Her eyes visibly widened as a knowing smile crossed Shepard's lips and he drew a small, black-velvet box from his back pocket, opening it to reveal the ring inside.

"Tali'Zorah vas Normandy nar Rayya, it would make me the happiest man alive, if you would consent to be my wife."

"Keelah!" Tali nearly broke her faceplate as she tore it away from her helmet and threw her arms around his shoulders. Tears of joy flowed from her eyes as their lips met. _She'd hoped for this moment for so long, now that it was finally happening, so many thoughts assailed her. Shepard was asking her to spend the rest of her life with him, to be with her…The man who'd saved the Citadel, saved _her _was asking for her hand in a permanent union._

Even in the intensity of the moment, Tali registered the joy of her first kiss, the soft press of his lips, the smell of his aftershave, the strange, indescribable feelings that coursed through her…

After a few moments, their mouths parted and Shepard cradled her in his arms as she rested her chin on his shoulder.

"You know," he smiled teasingly, prompting her to look at him. "You still haven't given me an answer…"

"Yes!" She cried. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! I _will_ be Tali'Zorah kas Shepard vas Normandy." She repeated the phrase in the same dialect Shepard had used moments earlier.

There was a brief pause as Shepard again took her in his arms and simply held her. After a few minutes, he tilted his head down and broke the silence.

"I didn't run into 'kas' during my research of Quarian courtship, or language in general for that matter. Care to explain?"

"Kas is a t-title given to indicate a Khelat- er, marriage to a crewmember for… er, um, _from_ another ship," Tali stammered, still overwhelmed. She shook her head and stared at him, her diamond colored eyes ablaze with wonder and gratitude. "I- I just can't believe- You actually learned that dialect just to propose!"

Shepard nodded, cradling the side of her head in one hand. _This was the first time he'd seen her face._

Tali's eyes widened as she had the same revelation. "Oh Keelah…"

"Tali…" The Commander gazed at her with an openness she hadn't seen since before the first Normandy's destruction. His eyes slowly drifted across her features.

_High cheekbones were set above a pair of soft pink lips. Her sand colored skin stood in full complement to the silver eyes that stared back at him, almost uncertain. In the middle of it all rested an average nose, slightly curved inward on the bridge; not too large but not too small._

_She'd always been nervous that there was a slight chance he might find her too pedestrian in appearance. Gazing into his eyes, however, she found all of her fears allayed._

A chill rippled down his spine. Her face wasn't _exceptionally_ beautiful, and certainly not extravagant, but to Shepard, it was the most gorgeous sight he had ever laid eyes on. "You're… wow…"

_She could have sworn his eyes were misty._

"…Absolutely beautiful." The Commander's words were so genuine, so earnest; Tali couldn't help but tear up.

"Thank you…"

The night bore a singular significance in a way no other could. It was the first time he'd had seen her face, the first time she'd been able to look at him without the slightly purple tint of her mask altering his appearance… The first time they'd kissed. So many things rushed for their attention on a regular basis; now this peace, this- sacred moment, this was something they could cherish.

* * *

"This is all very sudden," Shala'Raan vas Tonbay voiced.

"I've known him for almost four years now, how is that sudden?" Tali was incredulous.

"It's barely been three weeks since your nomination for the admiralty board, if news of his proposal gets out this soon afterwards…"

The younger quarian shook her head. "I still haven't told him about it yet, I needed some space to make that decision and I did. I'll tell him when the politics have settled down." Her voice betrayed the small sinus infection that she'd developed after the kiss.

"That could be a while yet, Tali. Cap- Admiral Jule is making sure that your decision does not go unnoticed. He's very grateful to you, you know."

"Why? I declined the position? He was one of my most vocal supporters."

Shala sighed. "He's trying to paint your decision as a 'heroic sacrifice'. Tali, if the truth gets out…"

"It _is_ a sacrifice, believe me Shala, I want to return to the fleet-" She faltered. Tali felt the truth of her own words knife through her. _Despite what she'd told herself while considering the admiralty position, she deeply longed to return to her people._ She started up again, this time exerting more control over her voice. "_With_ Shepard, but, I do want to return. My staying here could well keep our people from extinction."

"I understand child, just be careful. The Reapers almost killed you once; your loss would be a great injury to our people." The Admiral stopped, considering her next words. "I wish you the greatest of happiness, Tali, he is a good man, treat him well."

* * *

Revision Note:

**The addition to the proposal scene proper was an interesting write. Its inclusion is thanks nearly entirely to Miraza, who asked if this was the first time Shepard had seen Tali's face. I realized that it was and wrote the new addition almost immediately after I started revision on this chapter. Funny thing is, it refused to stay in one place, and it doesn't pack the emotional punch I want it to. Anyways, the closest match I can find to my personal image of Tali thus far is Camilla Belle… And she's not really all that close.**

* * *

Original Author's Note:

**I first wrote the proposal scene when I was only about 3 or 4 chapters into the story and have been waiting to post it ever since. At the time I was tearing up as I wrote and read it. After having read it about 50,000 times, however, I have come to think of it as an emotionally flat scene. Please let me know if I'm crazy or if the chapter really does need a re-write.**


	18. Ep 4: Ch 2: Status Quo

**Chapter 18: Status Quo **

_

* * *

Shepard's history was distinctly unremarkable for a savior of the galaxy,_ Kasumi thought. The thief had just had another conversation with Tali and the subject had turned (as it was wont to do) to the Normandy's commanding officer.

_According to the quarian, Shepard had been born and raised on a medium sized colony not too far from Elysium. His parents had been slightly religious, but not particularly devout, and his father's time in the service prompted him to join the Alliance via an academic program. Shortly thereafter, he went on to obtain the rank of Master Sergeant; a veritable 'wonder child' to hear his superiors tell it._

_The Skyllian blitz had rolled through only days after Shepard's first shore-leave; his actions in repelling the attack had catapulted him to the rank of Commander. Goto found it odd that the man hadn't received a promotion after the battle of the Citadel, but then, that was politics._ Kasumi smiled as she held the data-pad, scanning the pages for a suitable material for Tali's purposes.

The quarian had asked for her help in designing a second veil for her outfit, something that would 'catch Shepard's eye'. _Silk was out of the question. The material had to be fancy, of course, but a certain measure of durability was also required. Besides, silk had to be imported, and from this distance, the price would be prohibitive._

Kasumi pursed her lips in thought, _Asari fabrics were often high quality, but again, expensive. She _could _just steal the material- No, Tali wouldn't accept that. There was always 'griom'. A standard, light but durable turian fabric that could be dyed or colored with a minimum of fuss._ Goto grinned and set the data pad to the side. _She'd run the idea by her friend later, right now it was time to get back to reading._

* * *

On a military vessel such as the Normandy, fitness of the crew, be they combat operative or lowly Mess Sergeant was a matter of no small importance. This was especially true of 'long-sailing' ships, vessels that spent months or years in space at a time. Even with artificial gravity, crewmembers' bone and muscle tissues tended to atrophy slightly, resulting in a net decrease in overall health.

To avoid the problem becoming acute, most ship Commanders instituted some form of mandatory calisthenics and conditioning regimens. Shepard had gone so far as to have a miniaturized gym stored in the Normandy's cargo hold to be used by each crew member in pre-scheduled shifts. Even the brittle-boned Joker was required to work out a minimum of three times a week, though his exercises were substantially less demanding- for obvious reasons.

Shepard had organized each crew-member's workout schedule to match their personal timetables, choosing only from the remaining time-slots for himself. The Commander was in the middle of a set of crunches when the cargo hold's elevator doors parted to reveal Tali in her basic enviro-suit without the usual decorative trimmings.

Shepard gave her a quizzical look as she walked up to him. "What's with the 'plainclothes' look?"

Tali chuckled. "I always workout like this."

Shepard mentally slapped himself for the memory lapse and started the next set of crunches. Tali silently moved over to an empty corner of the hold and began her own exercises. The Commander couldn't help but notice her particularly womanly physique as she began a series of lunges.

_Watch your eyes!_ He sharply turned away, momentarily berating himself for allowing his gaze to linger on certain parts of her… person.

The quarian caught sight of the motion and allowed a small grin to tug at the corner of her mouth. _She'd always been proud of her physique. Most quarians were slim, to be sure, a product of the highly controlled diets that their suits necessitated, but few outside of their military were as _fit_ as she was. Shepard's fleeting glimpse told her exactly what he thought of her body, and the thought was more than a little flattering, even if he didn't always voice it._

John caught himself looking again and again managed to tear his eyes away. "You're doing that…" He finished another crunch. "On purpose aren't you?"

Tali smiled behind her mask. "Doing what on purpose?" A hint of playfulness laced her voice.

Shepard smiled, shook his head and finished his last set of crunches before moving on to the weights. _At least now his back was turned to her._ He sighed as he sat down behind one of the 'free-lifting' machines, a contraption designed to eliminate the need for a spotter.

The Commander set the weights to 150 pounds per arm, _a slightly lighter workout than usual, but well within acceptable boundaries._ Tali came over as he finished the first set of 15 reps.

"Never got the hang of that one myself," He could almost hear the smile in her voice as she watched his powerful muscles in action. "Most of what I do is conditioning."

Shepard held up a finger, counting the seconds before the next set of reps. A few moments later, he began the next set, only now allowing himself to talk, his words punctuated with each pull on the weights. "So, what'd you think… of the prayer meeting… this morning?"

Since listening in on one of the gatherings while still in the med-bay, Tali had started attending them on a regular basis. Shepard had observed that she had left each meeting a little more thoughtful than the last. Today she had been especially reserved.

Tali said nothing for a few seconds; the smile in her eyes seemed to disappear. She finally spoke, nodding her head towards the machine. "Show me how to use that."

Shepard finished his last rep, shrugged, and stood up _There was no point pushing the question. If there was one thing he'd learned in his faith, it was that it was not a matter that should be pressed before someone was ready_. He set the weights at 50 each, a basic starting number for someone as active as she was, and helped her get situated. After setting her hands on the grips, he gave her the instructions.

"Just pull it forward, breathe out, now in… Good." After a few reps, he adjusted the weight until it was just enough to challenge her.

Tali began the next set, then abruptly stopped and eased the weights back.

"Something wrong?" Shepard's arms were immediately at her hands, ready to assist.

Tali shrugged his hands off, "I… I've been thinking about us, about me." She looked down pensively at the fake leather seat. "I didn't want to make this decision until I was certain… it's too important to accept blindly, _especially_ since the proposal."

Shepard took her hand, a look of concern in his eyes. No mask hid his feelings; no shield was raised to protect his emotions. The expression on his face was earnest, genuine. "Tali, tell me what's wrong."

She looked up at him slowly, their eyes meeting after a lengthy pause. "I'm ready, John. Teach me to pray. I'm ready to share your faith." Her head made a slight nod as she finished her sentence as if to add emphasis.

Shepard couldn't explain the torrent of emotions that washed over him. _It was an assault of joy, relief, contentedness, wonder, and surprise._

"John?" Tali could have sworn she saw a little extra moisture along his bottom eyelids.

The corners of the Commander's mouth slightly curled up and he nodded.

* * *

Mordin Solus stood in the Normandy's lab, patiently awaiting the Commander's arrival. _News of Shepard's proposal had spread through the Normandy in a matter of hours, but that was several days ago._ Mordin had taken no part in the lighthearted jabs that were being offered by most of the crew, but had instead busied himself with more medical concerns.

_Records of human reproductive habits, traits, etc. were easy to access, but data about quarians… He had to rely mostly on his former contacts in the STG to get a hold of such information, most of whom were more than a little perplexed by his chosen subject matter._

The salarian's sharp ears caught the soft hiss as the doors to the lab parted, admitting a somewhat bedraggled Commander Shepard.

"Sorry about my appearance, just finished a shower."

"No apologies necessary for good hygiene. In fact, related to topic wished to discuss." Mordin seemed to stop for a moment as he had an apparently revelatory thought. "Hmm, good segue." The doctor keyed a button at his console and walked around the table.

"Noted news of engagement to Tali'Zorah with some apprehension, mild, no serious concerns. However, wished to discuss your possible- likely intimate relations."

Shepard nearly facepalmed then and there. "Didn't we already have this discussion before the suicide mission?"

"In part, yes. Discussed potential for dangerous reaction in Tali'Zorah. Less likely to occur now, krogan retro-virus included moderate immune boost for Miss Zorah." Solus held up his hands almost defensively. "Would still suggest precautions though, never hurts to be safe."

Shepard lifted his eyebrows as if to say "I'm waiting…"

"Subject of discussion, human and quarian reproductive systems functionally and structurally identical, however, often slight difference in scale. Based on height profiles, Miss Zorah likely 6 to 11 percent smaller, could be painful for her first time."

Shepard frowned. "What would you suggest, painkillers? Muscle relaxants?"

Mordin shook his head. "No, no, nothing so drastic, simply go slow, give her time to adjust. Should only be temporary discomfort, one to two minutes at most."

John nodded. "Anything else?"

"No, simply wished to give advice, wish you well."

"You sound like you're getting ready to leave the Normandy."

"Collector threat reemerged, Reapers still imminent, departure impractical, unwise, will be here if you need me."

Shepard took his cue, nodded and stepped out of the lab. Mordin Solus returned to his work, the Collector data had yet to be cracked.

* * *

Author's Notes:

**I realize that the idea of a gym in the Normandy's cargo hold may seem somewhat silly, but given just how perfect everyone's physique is in game, I figured it was a rational inclusion.**

**Regardless, what was originally intended to be a 'pseudo-fluff' scene eventually became something with much deeper significance. In the original narrative, Tali didn't openly embrace Shepard's faith until about chapter 32 or 33, if I remember correctly. I wanted to get this scene in before "Vanguard" and, due to its size, I ended up starting a whole new chapter. Well, that and the desire to have 'Vanguard' end in an even number… (I'm just OCD like that)**

**Also, regarding the closing scene, not totally sure why I wrote it, probably to give Mordin a bit more 'screen time'. At least it allowed me to further cement him as being factual and [largely] to the point.**


	19. Ep 4: Ch 3: Catalyst

**Chapter 19: Catalyst**

_

* * *

Reapers, Reapers, Reapers._ Mordin Solus was hunting for something in the data, anything that could pinpoint their existence and thereby prove the threat to the Council. Legion had performed the tedious work of translating the data into a readable format in a matter of minutes. Now the AI was currently processing several of its own copies of the praetorian's 'black box' data silently in a corner of the lab. Mordin looked over at the geth.

_It was a marvelous machine, if tragic in its history. Something about the construct's exterior puzzled him. A gaping hole sat nestled in the unit's chest cavity, the result of a high impact rifle round if Legion could be believed. Surely it had the capacity and the materials to fix itself, why didn't it?_

The Salarian pulled his thoughts back to the data module in front of him. Hundreds of possible ciphers sat on the data-pads next to him, each waiting to be tried against the alien encryption. Mordin ran through the calculations, each taking him only a few seconds to determine that the code was ineffective before moving on to the next.

_He hadn't suspected that the answer to the encryption would be an easy find, odds were he'd have to develop an entirely new system to crack the language, let alone the code. Still there was no harm in trying extant systems, if one happened to work, so much the better, if less of a challenge._

Solus finished pairing the ciphers available from the STG database before moving on to N7 and Cerberus. Most of their algorithms were less robust than those of their salarian counterparts, of course, but there were still a few gems that might do the trick.

Mordin tried various substitutions and symbols, all to no effect. Half an hour later, he had exhausted all of the available options and began trying to form a new system to decipher the information. Legion stood perfectly still at the other end of the lab, silent other than the occasional chirp as it readjusted its cryptanalyst programs to approach the data from a new angle. Mordin watched as the panels on the AI's 'face' flared and retreated in the equivalent of the geth's expressions. He shook his head rapidly for a second and refocused on the task at hand.

Three symbols kept appearing throughout the data, frequent enough that the salarian decided to focus his efforts there. Out of nowhere, an idea struck him. _Why hadn't he thought of it before? It should have been the first thing to cross his mind._ Mordin magnified the symbols and found exactly what he was looking for. The Salarian's lips curved up in a broad smile as the pieces fell into place.

* * *

Thane wrapped the black cloth around his forearm for the third time that day. _Veraidian's attack had broken the limb again, probably in the same place. If he didn't get medical attention, the bone would heal with a massive knot of scar tissue. As it was, a splint would have to suffice._ The assassin pulled out the small holo of Kolyat that his adversary had left for him.

Thane could feel the anger building inside of him again and reprimanded himself. _It was his anger that had gotten him into this predicament. First the Touraj had caused him to leave the Normandy, then he'd attacked Veraidian without a clear plan of action. He'd lost control of his emotions,_ something exceedingly rare for the assassin. Krios pulled the bandage taught then reapplied the splint he'd fashioned from a flattened metal rebar. He grunted as the cold metal contacted his skin, sending a burning pain through his arm.

After the fight in the warehouse, the drell had woken up in one of the supply crates, a small ray of light shining through the top indicated that he hadn't been sealed in. Thane's confusion had quickly given way to a similar feeling, curiosity. _Why had the turian spared him?_ Something felt wrong about the whole situation. _Kolyat's convenient disappearance when the Normandy had stopped near Osiris, Myrik's presence on the forest planet, Veraidian knowing _exactly_ where he was; all of it was too perfect, too choreographed. It would have been obvious even to the average layman, but Thane could sense, could smell more to this mess. They wanted him to kill for them, the question, _and the answer they wanted him to find, _was who._

* * *

Mordin stood in the briefing room, leaning against the table, staring at the data, checking for any mistakes. The Prothean characters had been slightly altered; they were sharper and more jagged than the ancient race's original glyphs. Mordin had been shocked to realize that the Collectors still held on to the language of their ancestors, deviating in the appearance of their numerals and characters only slightly. The real importance of the data he'd decrypted would soon be revealed to the rest of the crew.

Shepard entered the room with Garrus, his anticipation readily visible. "What do you have?"

"Shepard, have analyzed collector data, many results, not complete, still translating some, but found multiplicity of significant discoveries." Mordin paused for a breath. "Collectors utilize original prothean languages, modified of course, but still useable. Can document several strike ops from data module. Freedom's Progress, Horizon, Charybdis station, multiple others. Some future attacks as well, all of moderate to negligible strategic importance, barring one, haven't been able to translate it yet, too well encrypted."

"You're saying we know where the collectors are going to strike next? When and how?"

"Partially, not all details available, but should allow preparation of defenses at each location." Mordin stopped, glanced at the data in front of him, and resumed his monologue. "Also, found direct transmission from Reaper fleets, utilized entangled particle connections. Directions for new harvesting and construction efforts, still translating, will inform when complete."

"Shepard, this could be the evidence we've been looking for, the council will be confirmed as madmen if they hear about this and don't do anything!" Garrus was emphatic.

"Possible, would recommend having completed translation first, should be finished in a day, maybe two."

John's chin left his hand. "Maybe. They saw Sovereign and dismissed it as a geth creation. I won't hold my breath for this either, but you're right, we need to get this to the Council." He closed his eyes, thinking. "Tali needs to show this to the migrant fleet too. It could help swing the admirals into joining against the Reapers."

* * *

Mordin presented the data packet, translated and notated, several hours later.

"Have translated approximately 87 percent of the data, remainder still defies decryption, should be enough though. Will keep working on it anyway, good challenge, mentally stimulating." Mordin closed his eyes and inhaled deeply through his nose as if the decryption process were the most refreshing thing he'd done in days. He handed the data to the Commander and left the room.

Shepard nodded and began examining the data. As promised, Mordin had decrypted the majority of the work, only occasional symbols and characters were incomplete until the last few pages. Shepard set aside the scrambled code and gathered the rest in his hands before taking the elevator to the engineering deck.

The long-familiar sequence of the doors parting held no dread for him this time. Sure, the crew had razzed both him and Tali for a few days after the proposal, but the novelty of teasing the Commander and his chosen bride had quickly worn off. Gabby and Ken should be too busy at this hour to bother listening in on the conversation anyways.

Shepard could see the quarian's well-toned frame monitoring the engine readouts. He paused for a minute to take in the sight, her slim silhouette aglow in the gentle wash of the core's blue light. He shook himself from the brief stupor and proceeded towards her.

"Hey, Tali."

She smiled as she turned to face him, any fatigue she may have had was immediately replaced with enthusiasm and the characteristic spring in her posture. _Goodness he loved her. Always upbeat, always ready to tell him what he needed to hear, (even if he didn't always want it)._

"John, what can I do for you?"

"We've got it." He held up the data-pads.

Tali cocked her head to one side, confused. "Got what?"

"Proof. Proof for the council that the Reapers exist." He tilted a data pad in one hand triumphantly. "The praetorian we killed on Charybdis 'gave up the ghost' so to speak."

The quarian gingerly accepted one of the tablets, carefully examining the data displayed on its dark yellow screen. "We need t-… You need to show this to the fleet…"

EDI's synthesized voice barked over the speakers, "Commander, you are needed in the CIC immediately, Mordin has isolated some of the missing data. The Collectors are planning to strike Osiris."

Shepard visibly stiffened. "Never a dull moment," he muttered.

* * *

Revision Note:

**Almost nothing to add to this chapter, mostly a few extra sentences here and there to space out the conversations**

**I REALLY wanted to expand Thane's segment, but again writer's block is a merciless animal.**

Original Author's Note:

**Relatively boring though it was to write, this chapter was necessary for two reasons. First, it allowed me to provide Shepard with the evidence needed to persuade the council. Second, it sets up one of my favorite fight scenes in the next chapter. Oh, and a nice little surprise at the end of #18...**


	20. Ep 4: Ch 4: Vanguard

**Chapter 20: Vanguard**

* * *

Shepard was thoroughly perplexed. _Osiris. Why would the Collectors attack Osiris? What_ _**was**_ _there to attack on Osiris? Two research platforms, one orbital, one surface._ _The attack on Charybdis made sense strategically, a shipyard was an important resource, but Osiris? If the Collectors were mobilizing on the garden world something much bigger than a simple pair of research stations must be there, something only they or the Reapers knew about._

The Commander cinched the last strap on his combat hard-suit, briefly wondering why the Alliance hadn't applied their apparent fascination with acronyms to the body armor as well. _'B.A.' Well, there was the answer._ He grinned. _Then again, C.H.S. was just as likely an acronym…_ He shrugged and stepped out into the hall. Tali was waiting for him.

The young woman stood ready with her shotgun, sidearm and SMG all secure and ready on her belt and a small sling of tech attack modules over one shoulder.

"I take it you're hoping to come along?" he asked, stating the obvious.

Tali offered no verbal reply but instead provided him with a curt nod.

Shepard's eyes danced along the floor for a few moments, memories of the suicide mission sifting through his mind. _Here they were, about to face the Collectors on a planet neither party was familiar with, no home field advantage for the enemy, and yet, he still couldn't shake the cold apprehension in his gut._

Tali took his hand and locked her eyes with his, reading past his stoic stare despite his best efforts. "It wasn't in your control." She shook her head slightly to emphasize her words. "It was in _His_ hands. It all is. Remember, you taught me that."

Shepard's eyes broke from hers and he took on a pensive expression. _Allowing her to come along the first time had been infinitely easier; he hadn't anticipated the mercenaries or the storm. His primary concern at the time was finding Thane. Now, he _knew_ what they would be getting into, a whole mess of Collector ground forces, the same aliens that had nearly killed her. Deep inside, he knew she was right, but that didn't make it any easier. Still if he was ever going to conquer this, he had to start somewhere._

"All right. You can come." He had to force the words out, consciously forming each one as it left his lips.

* * *

The Normandy's forward observation cameras scanned the surface of the garden world, searching for a landing zone. A ghostly orange glow filled the cabin as they neared the burning research station. Shepard stood in his customary position behind Joker, watching the flames lick around the outpost's metal panels. Several collector drones were just beginning to emerge from the ravaged building, one of them carrying the mangled corpse of an unfortunate salarian.

EDI fired two of the Normandy's GARDIAN turrets at the insectoid creatures. The narrow anti-missile beams were large enough to boil watermelon sized holes in the Collectors' chitinous brown shells before the heat from the weapons caused the aliens' bodies to explode altogether, producing a pale yellow-green mist. The Normandy touched down on the scorched surface of the planet directly adjacent to the research facility.

Shepard looked at the smoldering ground, memories of his earlier mission returning. _This was the planet where Zaeed had died, where Tali had fought like a woman possessed to protect him. The absurdity of the Collector's presence here struck him as too much. There was more here than met the eye, much more._

The Commander worked his way to the debriefing room where the team stood ready. _He'd be taking three of them along this time._

"Grunt, Samara… Tali, you're with me, everyone else, form a perimeter around the LZ, I don't want a single Collector within three klicks of the site. Clear?"

All heads nodded or dipped in response. Shepard could see the unspoken question in each of their eyes as he turned for the door, his chosen squad following close behind. _Why was he bringing three of them? He'd_ never_ had more than two squad-mates accompany him from the Normandy on any given mission._

In truth, the Commander wasn't entirely certain for the reason himself. _Something in the back of his mind suggested that it was out of fear, whether for himself or Tali he couldn't be sure. He knew he shouldn't be worried. The krogan regen virus had endowed most of the crew with the ability to heal from most injuries in a matter of minutes; it would take a truly grievous wound to kill any of them. Samara and Legion were the sole exceptions, the Justicar had declined to receive the treatment, and Legion was a machine._

_Mordin had also observed a substantial increase in the overall strength of each of the recipients, Tali being the most pronounced. Shepard was an incredibly strong human even before receiving the retro-virus, and the quarian was now nearly a match for him._

Shepard returned his thoughts to the task at hand, _stop the Collectors and find whatever it was they were searching for here._ Tali was right behind him, her step determined and strong. "He's in control." He heard her whisper. He nodded as they began their descent on the Normandy's unloading ramp.

The air around them was dead still. Even the small chemical fires that hugged the exterior of the facility remained silent. Heat seemed to wreathe every corner, permeating even the specialized material of Tali's climate controlled enviro suit. The smell of charred metal and burning bodies filled the air, a rancid odor that stung Shepard's nostrils and churned his stomach. Samara grimaced as the all too familiar stench. Grunt seemed to relish the smell, the bloodlust of his species driving him to inhale it deeply.

Thick plumes of chemical smoke drifted skyward, sending the outpost's mute plea for help. Tali watched as a small, orange ember floated up in the draft, twinkling like a snowflake moving in reverse. _The whole scene felt so similar, and yet so different._

The Commander slowly crept forward, noting the soft yield of the flash-dried earth beneath his feet. Shepard held up two fingers, then motioned twice at one side of the main entrance, then once at the other. Grunt and Samara sprinted to the location the Commander had indicated, while he and Tali rushed to the opposing side of the door.

Tali began silently bypassing the door's controls while Grunt and Shepard established a covering field. A soft, metallic groan emanated from the orifice as the damaged doors struggled to separate, then stopped, casting a brief shower of sparks from the frame. The Commander gave a sharp nod to the krogan and Grunt grabbed the right panel, peeling it open. The sound of screeching metal assaulted their ears as the krogan exerted his colossal strength to tear the door free.

_So much for subtlety,_ John frowned, creeping up to the door and giving his team the signal to advance. The facility's lights flickered weakly in the hall beyond, a stark reminder of the condition of Charybdis. Occasional sparks or fires supplemented the otherwise dim light, adding an orange-yellow glow to the pale grey of the facility. As the team progressed, they saw bodies of salarians and Collectors, both species riddled with bullet holes and plasma burns.

It wasn't long before Grunt's sharp ears caught the reports of gunfire on the level below. With a huff, the krogan came to a halt and started sniffing the air.

"Salarians, mostly dead, some of the bugs too." He reported. Shepard's acknowledgement light blinked in the krogan's HUD. The team advanced cautiously down the octagonal stairwell, covering each other's blind spots and watching for signs of anything out of the ordinary.

A minute and a half later, the squad reached an open door at the end of the hall and took up positions on either side. The sounds of gunfire were interrupted only by the occasional screech of a Collector or scream of a Salarian. Shepard poked his nose around the door-frame only for a Collector particle beam to spear past, nearly burning his face with its ambient heat.

Even in that brief glimpse, Shepard was able to get a rough estimate of the room's occupants. Approximately twenty Collectors held half of the room, bisecting it diagonally from one corner to the other. A small group of five or six salarians remained, trapped in the corner to the squad's right. Two more salarians had been isolated from the rest and were trapped in the opposite corner.

"Avoid hitting the researchers, strike on my go." The Commander ordered.

"Three… Two… One… MARK!"

With that, he tossed a grenade deep into the room's far corner, and the team poured in, unloading a hail of deadly gunfire as the explosive detonated with a loud thump. Several Collectors dropped under the withering storm of bullets, but their numbers didn't seem to decrease. John ordered Grunt to the right of the entrenched aliens' position, charging a biotic shockwave as the krogan began the flanking maneuver. The attack pulverized a series of tables and chairs that had been up-righted by the salarians in a desperate attempt to slow the Collectors' advance.

Splinters of wood and polymer flew in all directions as the shockwave freight-trained its way into the enemy's ranks. Grunt's assault rifle stopped firing as he switched out for his shotgun. Shepard directed Tali to cover the krogan as he loaded the weapon. Two of the Collectors had taken the opportunity to advance on Grunt's position, but were summarily cut down as the quarian blew their heads apart with her Carnifex 'hand cannon'.

Shepard heard screaming over to his left and saw one of the few remaining researchers crumple to the ground, clutching his stomach. The salarian's pistol clattered down beside him, loosing a round as it made contact with the floor.

A group of Collector drones stood just a few feet away from the gutted researcher in the perfect position to flank the fire-team. Shepard rested a hand on Samara's shoulder and nodded. The asari set a field of covering fire as Shepard readied a biotic charge to clear the distance with the salarian's assailants.

A brilliant green flash erupted from Shepard's body as he careened into the nearest Collector. The insectoid alien made a sickening crunch as it slammed into the wall, propelled by the tremendous force of the biotic assault. Shepard sidestepped as one of the other drones brought its weapon down in a savage swing. The butt of the firearm struck the table behind which the dying salarian had taken cover, sending wooden fragments into the air.

A mass of emerald energy roiled around Shepard's left fist as he sent a punch directly into the drone's chest. His hand erupted from the other side, casting bits of bone and blood through the wound, along with cybernetics and internal organs. The Commander pulled his arm back and let the Collector sink to the floor.

The remaining drone screeched in concert with its particle beam, a deadly yellow shaft spearing into the Commander from a mere five feet away. Shepard felt a sharp sting as the weapon overloaded his shields and cut into his side.

John's still glowing hand snapped up clutching his shotgun, and sent an eight gauge round slamming through the alien's biotic barrier and into its midsection.

The Commander knelt to the floor moments after the Collector collapsed, brandishing his shotgun in one hand and applying pressure to the wound with the other. He could already feel the tissues beginning to re-knit, but the blood would take slightly longer to replenish and he would be out of the fight for the next few minutes.

Grunt's shotgun fired in unison with Tali's as both of the warriors put down a Collector on opposite sides of the room. John witnessed the quarian's combat drone weave into the enemy position, discharging bursts of plasma at various targets. Two amber energy beams surged into the aliens' defenses along with several rounds of pistol fire, courtesy of the remaining salarians.

Samara's biotics were hard at work as well. Everyone in the room saw the telltale ripples of mass-effect fields as they distorted the air, leaving the distinctive odor of ozone in their wake.

A deafening boom shook the facility and small bits of sand and tile rained down from the ceiling. Shepard noted the shaking of the floor come to an abrupt halt almost as soon as it began. _Explosives, very powerful explosives._ The Collector ranks began to collapse. A few rounds still lashed back at the team, and Samara soon found herself covered in the blood of one of the researchers.

Shepard leaned out of cover to see the last of the Collectors retreat into the bowels of the station. He could feel the muscles in his side tense for a moment, then relax as the regenerative cells completed their task.

A handful of salarian researchers were all that remained alive in the room besides Shepard and his team. The Commander stood up and approached one of the four surviving salarians.

The scientist stood, still brandishing one of the Collectors' beam weapons in one hand, holding the other over a dark spot on his arm. "Chief Security Officer Tinu at your service. Thank goodness you came. We were almost done for."

Shepard nodded. "Commander Shepard, Special Tactics and Recon. Are you hurt?"

Tinu lifted his hand from the splotch of blood on his arm, looking at the injury. "I should be fine, my friend probably needs some help though." He nodded to one of the other survivors.

"Tali, you got 'im?"

The quarian hustled over to the injured scientist and began administering medi-gel.

Shepard turned his attention back to Tinu. "You seem awfully calm about all of this, you have combat experience?"

The researcher grinned and snapped a salute. "Former Salarian STG, sniper. Joined the research team here 'cause I hoped it'd be quiet." He offered a weak chuckle. "Guess I can't seem to stay away from the action."

Shepard dipped his head approvingly. "Alright, I'm uploading coordinates to my ship, head on up to the surface and wait for me there; we're going to clean out the rest of the Collectors."

"No argument here. They took the old tunnel into the bedrock, must be after the artifact."

_Artifact?_ The Commander arched an eyebrow. "Care to explain?"

"Mostly classified, all I know is it's old, very old. You should hurry."

* * *

After taking care of the salarians' injuries, Shepard's team followed the remaining Collectors into the underground portion of the facility. The tunnel that led into the geothermal observation complex had been hewn from solid rock. Short, grey moss clung stubbornly to the damp walls, giving the already dismal passageway an unwelcome atmosphere. The team passed by several testing chambers, all of which were securely locked.

The rock abruptly stopped, meeting with a silver-white stone wall of near-perfect smoothness. More surprising than the wall itself, though, was the hole that had been blasted in it. Shepard cautiously eased in through the opening, scanning the area beyond before signaling the team to join him.

A gentle green illuminated the chamber, casting morbid shadows from the corpses of bullet-ridden Collectors on the floor.

"Automated turrets." Samara observed, referencing the carnage.

Shepard nodded, realizing that this had been the final destination of the enemies that he and the team had driven back. Several data terminals of an unknown alien make graced the far wall, along with a multitude of tanks and pipes. Archaic carvings traced the walls, the symbols bearing an odd familiarity to the inscriptions on the beacon at Eden Prime.

"This place, it's-… ancient." Tali's eyes drank in the chamber in awe.

"Evidently, the guns don't recognize us as hostile." Shepard indicated one of the turrets as it tracked their movements.

A new, synthesized voice interrupted the interchange. "Non-indigenous life-forms, Sapient. Reaper extermination cycle repeat overdue. Potential allies. Possible resistance established. Activating Vanguard protocol."

"Vanguard protocol?" The quarian wondered aloud. Her question was met with the sound of escaping air as a display appeared above one of the terminals. Several alien symbols began trailing across the display. _A countdown._ The VI spoke again.

"Cryo-thaw initiated, please standby."

"EDI, what's going on?" The Commander demanded, bringing a hand to his helmet.

"Readings suggest that another life-form is present near your location, it would seem to be in cryogenic stasis. I am unable to get any detailed readings." The AI answered. "Shepard, the room you are in is not part of the facility, initial scans suggest that it is approximately 51,300 years old. Power signatures indicate a cold-power system combined with mass effect fields."

_The implications of EDI's report were impossible, there was no way that_-

"Cryo-thaw at fifty percent. Administering stimulants, please standby to assist the vanguard." The VI's voice nearly perfectly matched EDI's.

Shepard stared at the countdown in disbelief. The numbers were displaying in human, quarian, asari, salarian and krogan characters. Tali had noticed as well.

One word escaped her lips. "Shepard…"

Even Grunt seemed captivated. Moments later, the countdown reached zero and a large, cylindrical pod emerged from the wall, weeping a frigid mist.

"Cryogenic thaw completed, please standby."

Even from ten feet away, Shepard could feel the temperature of the room dropping. The pod manifested a fissure down its length, venting gas and mist. Pale blue light illuminated the sole inhabitant. The alien was about six feet tall, bipedal, and wore gleaming white and blue armor. Its eyes vaguely resembled those of a turian, with cartilaginous ridges protruding above each.

The sloped forehead bore no hair, whether it had been shaved or if the alien simply didn't have any was impossible to tell. The alien's mouth was deeply angular, making the shape of a flattened 'W'. Suddenly its jade-colored eyes snapped open, snapping from object to object about the room as it took in its surroundings with a startling air of alertness. The alien's eyes finally settled in the squad.

"You are neither Prothean," he began as he stepped from the cryo-pod, his voice sounded like the harsh crunching and grinding of gravel, a byproduct of his 50,000 year stasis, "nor machine. My name is Synn, I am one of the Vanguard."

* * *

Revision Note:

**I still feel the urge to jump with childlike glee every time I read Synn's first lines. Coming up with his character was like an epiphany of sorts as I figured that several readers would get a nice little… surprise out of his intro.**

Original Author's note:

**I've been planning this reveal for about a week now, and I think it came off rather well. I know that someone is going to read this and have their eyes pop out of their skull from shock (At least I hope so). The fight scene was probably my favorite one yet, barring the opening scene in chapter 1 (biotic punch FTW!).**

**Feedback is appreciated.**


	21. Ep 4: Ch 5: Recollection

**Chapter 21: Recollection**

* * *

The alien's voice was quiet and raspy. "You are neither Prothean, nor machine. My name is Synn, I am one of the vanguard." He coughed heavily, producing a clear white fluid.

_Likely a surfacant to protect his lungs from the cold_. The thought caught John off guard, _here was what was likely the only living prothean and he was considering the cryo process that had preserved it._

"I am one of seven, hidden and preserved as a warning for the next civilization."

The translator affixed to the Prothean's armor struggled to keep pace with his words as it converted them into salarian, the only language the cryo facility had had exposure to. Thankfully, the salarian dialect was one of many programmed into the translators carried by Shepard's team.

Shepard spoke, "The Reapers must have known you were here. Why they waited until now to attack you I have no idea."

The Vanguard's head jerked back when he heard Shepard mention the Reapers in such a familiar manner. "So, a resistance has been established, it seems my task is irrelevant."

"Hardly." Shepard asserted. "We've managed to stall them for a few years at best, but most of the sentients alive right now don't believe in the Reapers' existence. Your testimony could well be the turning point we've been looking for."

Synn's eyes stared into space as he contemplated the information. "Did you speak with Vigil? The program on Ilos?"

The Commander nodded. "That's what enabled us to stop Sovereign."

"Sovereign?"

"I'll explain on the way," Shepard motioned for the Prothean to follow. "In the meantime, we need to get you some where safe."

"I will not be able to fight for several hours, the effects of cryogenic stasis are… tenacious." Synn slowly flexed, trying to work the stiffness out of his form before following the human into the dark tunnel beyond.

* * *

Tali couldn't believe what was happening. _They were speaking to a Prothean; one of the ancient race wiped out by the Reapers 50,000 years ago was standing in front of them! The alien had called himself 'Synn'; One of seven vanguards; the Protheans' final act of defiance against the Reapers._ She became dimly aware that the group was moving, with the prothean following directly behind.

_Something about the alien was compelling; it seemed to draw old memories to the surface. She could hear John radio the Normandy, but was too dazed to listen._ Sunlight stung her eyes as her visor automatically darkened, compensating for the change in light.

Tali sensed herself ascending the ramp before the Normandy's doors sealed behind her.

* * *

"_I recommend that Tali'Zorah be exiled posthumously." Zaal'Koris' authoritative voice carried through the auditorium's doors as Shepard, Tali and Garrus neared the plaza._

_Admiral Gerrel was incredulous. "Posthum- What purpose in Keelah's name would that serve? !"_

_A sudden murmur rippled through the chamber as three figures pushed past the guards at the entrance._

"_Sorry it took us so long," Shepard's voice rose above the quiet whispers. "We wanted to be sure we got all of them."_

_Admiral Gerrel was the first to respond. "We apologize, captain, your success in taking back the Alarei is very… unexpected."_

_Shala quickly interjected. "But, also very welcome."_

_Gerrel resumed. "Did you find anything on the Alarei that could clarify what happened there?"_

_Tali felt every muscle in her body tense simultaneously. _Please, Keelah, don't do it! _"Shepard, please…" she reached out with one arm, thought better of it, and pulled back._

_Shala spoke. "Does Captain Shepard have any new evidence to submit to this hearing?"_

_The Commander cast a quick glance at the quarian before ascending the dais._ She'd die to preserve his name, the father who could never say he cared, could never tell her he loved her. _He looked at the Omni-tool on his wrist and Tali's heart-rate accelerated._

Please. No!

_Shepard drew a breath._

Keelah, John, PLEASE, don't destroy who he was!

_He tensed, anger washing over him. _They had no right to do this to her. After everything she'd sacrificed, all for the sake of the fleet, here they were, spitting on the memory of her father. This was **wrong!**_ Shepard forced himself to calm down. _Anger wouldn't get him anywhere and it certainly wouldn't help Tali.

_Shepard paced slowly along the railing, never taking his eyes off the Admirals._

"_Admirals, I spoke with each of you before we retook the Alarei," His voice was level, but everyone in the auditorium could feel the anger buried in his words. "What I found was not a sincere desire to see justice served, but a juvenile argument between military officials. It is the DUTY of a government to enforce justice, to protect its people when they cannot defend themselves._

_John's voice rose as he spoke, gaining force and fury with each syllable._

"_When an innocent person is called to defend themselves against a charge that is known to be false, the government has surrendered its mantle and become the very thing it was formed to oppose. That is exactly what has happened here. Tali'Zorah is being tried for a crime that all of us know she wouldn't- couldn't commit."_

_Shepard's chest heaved. _Control, get back in control. _The Commander resumed his speech, his voice was again level and measured._

"_Why would Tali be careless enough to send parts to her father that could get him killed? She knows more about the geth than any other quarian alive. She's smart enough not to have made these mistakes and you," He pointed to Admiral Koris, who seemed to slouch slightly. "Know it."_

"_Tali's expertise was vital in defeating Saren and the geth on the citadel. Her efforts on behalf of the quarian people, on Noveria, Ilos, Virmire, Haestrom, Freedom's progress, Aite, the Alarei, hell, even the Citadel," he spread his arms for emphasis, "surpasses anything any of us here have done. I can't think of anything that speaks more to her loyalty to the fleet than the sacrifices she's made on behalf of her people. If that's not enough for you…" Shepard stopped pacing and heaved a sigh, his glare could be felt through his helmet. The Commander shook his head slowly. "Nothing will be." Shepard's speech had ended quietly in terms of volume, but the authority carried in his words spoke louder than anything else._

_The auditorium was deathly still. The Commander's shoulders rose and fell, his anger radiated throughout the chamber, defying any who dared contradict him. Tali stared in disbelief. _John had not simply openly defied the Admiralty Board, he had rebuked them!

_Shala finally spoke, her voice shaky. "Are the Admirals prepared to render the judgment?"_

_A lump formed in Tali's throat. _There way no way they would acquit her now.

_The Admirals slowly lifted their arms and tapped their omni-tools. A moment later, Shala'Raan's voice echoed through the chamber, this time more stable. "Tali'Zorah, in light of your history of service, we do not find sufficient evidence to convict. You are hereby cleared of all charges."_

_The young quarian felt dizzy. Her head began to spin. _Cleared? !_ She staggered slightly, catching herself before hitting the ground._

_Shala continued. "Captain Shepard, please accept these gifts in appreciation for your willingness to represent one of our people." She tapped her omni-tool, sending schematics for various tech upgrades to his OSD._

"_With respect, I didn't represent one of your people," Shepard answered, his tone now more civil. "I represented one of mine."_

"_So you did. Go in peace, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy. Keelah se'lai."_

_A red armored quarian walked up to them on their way out._

"_Kal'Reegar?" The Commander queried._

_The marine nodded. "Nice talking Shepard. Funny how it takes a Commander to remind the Admirals about military honor." He turned to Tali. "Glad they're off your back ma'am, and that you didn't have to give 'em that evidence you found on the Alarei."_

"_I didn't say anything about finding evidence, Kal." Tali's voice was simultaneously subdued and surprised._

"_Noticed that Ma'am." The Squad-leader winked. "Stay safe out there."_

"_Kal, just call me Tali."_

"_I'll work on that, Ma'am."_

_Tali walked alongside the Commander as they neared the airlock leading to the Normandy with Garrus following silently behind. "Thank you for what you said back there, I've never had anyone speak like that on my behalf before."_

_Shepard heaved a sigh and shook his head. "The whole trial was insulting, you should have had time to mourn your father. You deserved- you _deserve_ better."_

"_I got better," She smiled "I got you."_

_The two stood in the airlock as the decontamination cycle engaged, Garrus waiting behind them._

"_Besides," she added teasingly. "It's fun watching you shout."_

Tali woke from the dream feeling particularly warm. Shepard's defense of her at the trial had shown her just how strong he could be. Not physically, although he was that too, but the man had an unparalleled force of will. She closed her eyes and savored the memory.

* * *

Synn sat in the life-support chamber of the ship, eyes closed, deep in thought. Shepard had already briefed him on Sovereign, a Reaper dreadnaught that had staged a massive assault on the Citadel with an army of geth. _Apparently, the Commander had been a thorn in the Reapers' side for roughly four years now. Not only was he instrumental in Sovereign's defeat, he had destroyed an Njat R'lo home-base at the galactic core._

The Prothean reviewed his current situation in his head. _It had been 53,497 years since the Reapers had begun their genocide against his kind. 51,982 years had passed since his entry into the vanguard project and the ultimate annihilation of his species._

_The hope had been that the vanguard chamber would someday be discovered by a sapient race, one that would have sufficient technology to make use of the gifts he would be able to provide._ Instead of discovery by a single species, Synn had been found by several. Turians, asari, salarians, humans, quarians, krogan, batarians, all sentient, all advanced enough to use the technology he could provide. _The trouble would be convincing these nations that the reapers existed._

_Unfortunately, the Galactic community had been unwilling to see the Reaper Sovereign as more than an advanced Geth construct. Synn would have a chance to carry out his mission, he would persuade the Citadel Council of the Reapers' existence and stop the sentient machines once and for all._

* * *

Revision Note:

**Rewriting the trial was nearly an exercise in futility; I tried three different approaches and have only somewhat settled on the current one. It is within the realm of possibility that I may rewrite it yet again.**

Original Author's Note:

**This is easily one of my favorite non-combat chapters. I absolutely LOVED getting to write Tali's trial and have Shepard tell the admirals where to stuff it. It just communicated his sense of justice and loyalty to Tali better than I had hoped.**


	22. Ep 4: Ch 6: The Council

**Chapter 22: The Council**

* * *

"This is preposterous!" Councilor Velarn's hologram shook its head. To his left, the holograms of the other three councilors stood, ostensibly deep in thought. Synn stood directly to Shepard's left, the hologram system enveloping both the Commander and the Prothean. Shepard stared at the turian councilor, clearly agitated at the alien's unwillingness to accept the truth.

Retoma, the salarian Councilor, was far more open to considering the possibilities. "Shepard has been right on every occasion we have doubted him, I am beginning to consider him a more reliable source than the STG."

Tevos' lifted her eyebrows lifted at the statement. Of the four, Retoma was usually the most reserved, unusual for any salarian to be sure, but more so in his case as a galactic figurehead. Anderson simply nodded, his support of Shepard was already firmly established.

"I cannot blame you for harboring suspicions as to my person," Synn interjected. "My kind was exterminated 50,000 years ago. It is only natural for you to doubt."

"I for one cannot believe it until I've seen the prothean in person." Velarn's harsh voice ground through the debriefing room's speakers. "It could be too easily faked in a hologram."

"We're four hours from the Citadel, councilor," Shepard's reply was cool and controlled. "You'll see for yourself soon enough."

* * *

Captain Bailey stared at the alien in front of him. The Commander's revelation had him at a loss. _The Protheans had gone extinct 50,000 years ago. If the alien was what Shepard said it was, what it claimed to be…_

"I'm sorry Commander, but policy is clear, I can't admit this… Synn until he has been registered in the system." Bailey apologized.

"A few months ago, you were willing to press a button and skip those 'protocols' for me. Why the sudden change?" John challenged.

"You're human. We've never seen an actual- whatever he is." The C-sec officer indicated the Vanguard.

Synn was un-phased. "Njet R'la, known to you as a Prothean."

Bailey scratched his head. "We don't really have any first-contact-but-last-of-its-kind scenarios…"

Shepard huffed. "Captain, perhaps you don't understand the gravity of the situation. There is an armada of sentient starships on our galactic doorstep. Each and every one of them want to _harvest_ us. Most of the council is currently sitting on their royal asses, unwilling to believe that these machines exist. Synn might be able to convince them otherwise. He could well be the salvation of the galaxy and you want to _register_ him?"

Shepard's monologue seemed to turn on a light in Bailey's head. "Yeah, I guess that's important enough to 'skip' protocol."

The Commander smiled. "Thank you."

The Vanguard offered a nod as he passed, his gleaming armor giving him an almost machine-like appearance.

* * *

Five companions entered the presidium. One human, one quarian, one salarian, one krogan and the galaxy's only surviving prothean. Shepard and Tali formed the front edge of a box around Synn, which was completed by Mordin and Grunt. It felt like every eye on the citadel turned to watch as the mysterious cavalcade worked its way towards the council chamber's lift. Synn felt his gut knot as he caught sight of the Citadel tower.

_He could still remember the deafening screech as the gargantuan relay snapped shut, then blossomed open again before summoning the most horrific invasion force the galaxy had ever seen. The image of thousands of reapers pouring into the heart of the Prothean Empire sent chills down his spine. He'd been witness to the obscene genocide as brothers turned on sisters, fathers slaughtered their children and the closest of friends stabbed each other to death. All had been victims of the Reapers' vile indoctrination; slaves to a force they could not combat._

The Vanguard's eyes glowed a soft jade, resolve building in his breast. _The machines might return, but the galaxy would be ready this time. He would ensure that the Reapers would never survive the encounter; he would show them the strength of organics._

* * *

Councilor David Anderson allowed himself a slight smile as the quartet ascended the dais. Shepard led the group, followed by Tali'Zorah, the young quarian who had helped prove Saren's involvement in the attack on Eden Prime. Directly aft the quarian was salarian scientist and former STG operative, Mordin Solus. Grunt stood restlessly beside the doctor, occasionally offering a short huff.

The Prothean stood at the base of the dais, apparently waiting for Shepard to call him forward. The Councilors dipped their heads in respect, a surprising gesture to Shepard and his crew, but welcome nonetheless.

Shepard stepped forward. "I've already briefed Admiral Hackett and Councilor Anderson on the Collector attack on Charybdis." Synn seemed to bristle at the mention of his warped kin.

"While on the station, we were able to recover a data cache from one of their assault platforms." He motioned to Mordin.

The salarian inserted a small OSD into the panel in front of him, transmitting a copy of the information to the council's consoles. The Councilors watched as the translated symbols scrolled across their displays.

"The information allowed us to interrupt another Collector attack on the garden world of Osiris, where the Vanguard was discovered. Some of this data is sufficient in its own right to prove Reapers' existence, but his testimony," the Commander nodded to the Prothean, "is irrefutable."

Synn sensed his cue and approached the council. He let his emerald eyes scan the members in turn, gathering what little information he could from their appearance. _The turian was tall and wore what seemed to be civilian garb, as did the asari. The salarian councilor wore an ornate black, gold, and orange hood, while the human was robed in a standard dress uniform._ When he finally spoke, it was in a measured, confident tone.

"Honored members of the Galactic Citadel Council, I am Synn, fourth Vanguard, Prothean final defense. As your Commander has already indicated, I was preserved in cryogenic stasis to be found by the next civilization." He paused, waiting for the councilors to acknowledge his words.

"The beacons, like the one found on Eden Prime, were our primary contingency plan. Our- my preservation, was a backup, a second precaution in the event that the beacons proved indecipherable.

"My function is two-fold. First, I am to warn the next civilization of the reapers' return. Second, I have been charged with assisting them in resisting the machine fleet."

Synn stood silent as the council contemplated the revelation.

Tevos spoke up. "How can we be sure that you are indeed a Prothean and not some other long hidden race? Your appearance is definitely unique, yes, but we have no way of knowing what the Protheans looked like."

"I have been given several technological and strategic data to provide in facilitation of the resistance. I am also in possession of the locations of several titan-class shipyards, prepared with automatic systems to begin construction of new craft immediately. You will find technology that I am sure will be recognizable; at least, if your 'Spectre' has been as forthcoming to myself as he has to you." With that, Synn inserted a memory unit from his armor into the console, uploading a portion of his tech archive to the Council terminals.

Velarn, who's head had been bowed in thought, interjected. "We should examine these data before we make any decisions."

Tevos nodded and the council made its way to the back chamber to deliberate.

* * *

_Synn had come through. Despite their deepest wishes, the council was forced to conclude that the reapers' existence was indeed, fact. It had been a hard pill to swallow, having dismissed the threat for nearly four years, they finally had to admit that the first human spectre had been right once again._

Shepard sat in his cabin, recalling the discussion with four of the most politically powerful persons in the galaxy.

_Excessively cautious though they were, the council knew that this threat was the single greatest challenge they, or anyone else, would ever face. Their response had been appropriate, if somewhat grudging. Anderson had always been on his side, and he had been the one to reveal the council's decision to begin construction of a galactic defense fleet. The project was given an indefinite budget and no scheduled end._

John smiled. _At times like these, his faith became even more firmly cemented. He recalled a conversation he'd had with Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams in the cargo hold the evening before the mission to Virmire._

"…_That's not a problem with you, is it? That I believe in God?" though her query had been genuine, his response at the time was less so._

"_You know that old saw, 'there's never an atheist in a foxhole'? I've been in a lot of foxholes." He'd been skirting her question at the time, but something about it gnawed at him for the next several days. Williams's calm after electing to stay behind with the bomb had shown him something as well. _

_He'd seen soldiers make peace with death before; his long service had granted him plenty of opportunities to do so himself. Something about the Gunnery Chief was different though. Her calm wasn't borne out of a resignation to her fate, nor was it from the satisfaction of having lived a full life or doing her duty. Shepard had seen in her eyes an inexplicable joy. He had seen a hope that had shaken him to his core._

John had always believed in _some_ higher power; _morals didn't make sense without one. Minus a supreme being, morals had to be based on pragmatism, and he'd seen the disastrous effects of such flimsy ethics. With her death, Williams had given him the single greatest gift he'd received, faith._

John's attention returned to the schematics that Synn had given him before departing to assist in the fleet's construction, blueprints for advanced shields, cruiser grade plating, hyper efficient drive cores, new weapons systems, even scanner upgrades, all contained in a single OSD. The upgrades would take a few weeks to implement, but the Commander had no intention of wasting that time.

Two things occupied his plans. _Spending time with Tali was one. Finding the Assassin was the other._

* * *

Revision Note:

**Not a whole lot to say here, most of what I added was simply clarifications and rewords.**

Author's Note:

**I've been meaning to establish Shepard's character as being at least somewhat religious for some time now. Although I've hinted at this at some points, one of the recent reviews made it starkly clear that the trait was too ambiguous. This chapter was originally supposed to be about the assassin, but the need to develop Synn kinda threw a wrench in the works and I decided to save that for later.**


	23. Ep 5: Ch 1: Intrigue

**Episode 5: Oh What a Tangled Web…**

**Chapter 23: Intrigue**

* * *

Veraidian Nurem had worked as a hit-man for the Council for years. It was exceedingly rare that he was directly ordered to target anyone, but most of his assignments ended with some notable figure dead from a bullet-wound, poison, biotic attack or some other method. His Spectre status had put him under suspicion for some of these strikes, at least on those few occasions in which evidence could be found. Spectres were notorious for their permissions as related to working 'outside' the law. Generally speaking, there were few persons in the galaxy more cold-hearted or efficient than he was.

To top it off, Nurem was one of the few biotic turians, a status that won him no small amount of respect among his peers. Despite all of this, he couldn't help but feel uneasy when talking to this particular contact.

"The Illusive Man has taken quite an interest in the project." The figure in the hologram wore a black robe with a hood, concealing his face. The figure's voice rumbled; a deep, ominous tone that sent chills down the Spectre's spine.

The turian bristled at the sight. _It was understandable that the other would choose such an avatar considering his line of work, but that didn't make it any less unsettling._

Nurem cocked an eyebrow, attempting to disguise the unease he felt conversing with the enigmatic apparition before him. "He wants in?"

The robed figure waved his hand dismissively. "No, but he did spend almost 5,000,000,000 credits to resurrect the man. It's only natural that he would take notice of your efforts."

_That made sense. Someone that powerful would want to keep an eye on his investments, even if they went rogue._ "And he has no idea who's behind the plot?"

"Please," The other replied, mocking emotional injury. "I didn't get where I am by betraying Council Spectres on a regular basis."

"And yet here you are, conspiring with one to destroy another." The turian countered, his confidence returning.

His contact chuckled, but the sound produced was more akin to thunder or rolling gravel than a genuine laugh. "Touché, Mr. Nurem. Touché. Still, it should be noted that I did not hire the teams on Omega, Osiris, or the Citadel."

Veraidian's eyes narrowed. _If he'd had hair on the back of his neck, it would have bristled._ "I'll thank you not to mention them, they have yet to strike."

"My apologies." The condescension in his tone was clear, as was the message it conveyed: _Know your place, I can have you dealt with any time I please._ His next words were more civil, if still aloof. "Do you really believe they can succeed though? Shepard has a reputation for accomplishing the impossible; I think it unlikely that the third squad will serve as any more than a quick exercise to him."

Nurem struggled to maintain his composure, the other was goading him, and it was working. "I have no illusions that the third team will fare any better than the first two. However, the Commander can only withstand so much before even he breaks under the strain. Besides," He added cryptically. "Our asset will come into play soon, and we've given him _plenty_ of motivation."

* * *

Thane switched off the channel, gritting his teeth. _Veraidian was a bastard, plain and simple._ The turian had just sent him a communiqué regarding the survival of a one Kolyat Krios. The drell sat back against the bulkhead, resting his face in his hands and slowly looking up. He heaved a sigh. _Seeing his son again, even if only in the holo, was both a blessing and a curse. He couldn't think straight, but at least there was a chance that Kolyat was still alive._

Thane let out a long breath, the air hissing between his teeth.

Krios kept his eyes closed and listened to the passersby around him. There weren't very many on this level of the Zakera ward and he was able to distinguish large amounts from nothing more than the sounds of their footfalls.

_Quick, purposeful steps, first a soft thud, then a click. Turian. Male, judging by the gait. Heavy, solid impacts, slight scrape after every other step. Krogan, probably with a limp._

Thane let his eyes open slightly to confirm his guesses. _Two for two._

The assassin indulged in a few more minutes of rest before Veraidian's voice filled his thoughts.

"_Your son's life is in your hands, Thane. Kill Shepard, and the boy goes free."_

Krios' body trembled with indignation. _The mere sound of the turian's voice was angering, the thought of being forced to choose between his son and the only friend he'd had in ten years… infuriating, demoralizing, humiliating._

Thane shook his head to clear his thoughts. _Veraidian wouldn't go after Shepard for no reason, even a psychopath would think twice before attempting to hunt down perhaps the most talented and easily the luckiest soldier in the galaxy. He'd saved Elysium during the Skyllian blitz, destroyed two Reapers and even saved the Citadel Council._

_Either Shepard had harmed Nurem in some fashion, or the turian was on someone's payroll._ The drell stood up and began to make his way to the c-sec office. _Shepard had had plenty of run-ins with mercenary and pirate bands, just the sort of people Nurem had been involved with in Ihrika's murder. The Spectre didn't form any strong ties with those people though, he cast them aside when he was through, just like everyone else… so, if Shepard _had _injured him in some fashion, that wasn't it. More likely, the turian was to receive an oversized check upon completion of the task._

_Unless Nurem was doing this to target_ _**him**__._" The idea struck Thane like a sledgehammer. _That was possible, he had always held a special place on Veraidian's hit list, the kind of place where people he hated were._

* * *

Speaking with Samara wasn't easy for any of the crew. The Justicar's reserved manner was respectful, to be certain, but far from amicable. Tali was especially awkward when talking with the asari.

As a quarian, she had learned to rely on body language more than facial expressions to determine the moods and intentions of others. The ancient warrior used little body language in communication, and as a result, proved exceptionally difficult to read.

This nervousness coupled with the excitement of having humbled the council mere days ago nearly caused the young quarian to collapse when the Justicar requested to speak with her.

"I am pleased to see that Shepard has chosen you to bond with," Samara's strong, quiet voice seemed to echo in Tali's helmet.

"He is a discerning man. You have made him very happy."

"Th-thank you. I- um, thanks," Tali wrung her hands together. "I went behind his back…"

The asari smiled, a rare gesture. "You were right to tell me about the assassination attempt. Your first instinct was to protect him, and you sought one who would do that if you were unable. Sometimes we must circumvent the wishes of another to help them."

Tali felt her insides squirm; she was unused to the Justicar's praise. "Is there something you wanted? Something I can do for you?"

Samara's smile grew slightly and she shook her head. _Such a young, selfless woman. Yes the Commander was indeed a discerning man._ Her visage assumed an air of gravity as the answer to Tali's question emerged. "The Commander has told me more of the contract, he has been meaning to tell you as well, but I sense that he is apprehensive."

Tali's curiosity piqued and her hands stopped their nervous ballet. "What do you mean?"

"Shepard has concluded that a Spectre has been commissioned to kill him."

"A Spectre?" The quarian's mind raced, momentarily overcoming her unease from speaking with the Justicar. _The council? No, the Spectre was related to the council by position only in this circumstance. The individual in question had to be working outside of the confines of his charge._ "But, why?"

"I do not know, but your relationship with Shepard made me deem it your business to know." The Justicar gave an almost imperceptible nod. "That is all I wished to discuss, if you wish to talk more, I can stay."

Tali shook her head slightly. "No, thank you. I know how hard this must be for him."

Samara bowed and left the engineering deck. Tali gripped the sides of her helmet, trying to comprehend the bombshell that the asari had dropped on her. _Up to this point, she'd conjectured that The Illusive Man was behind the contract. It made sense after all, Shepard had destroyed the Collector hub world, depriving Cerberus of untold technological wealth. After Samara's revelation, this assumption was torn apart._ Another realization struck her. _The Head of Cerberus didn't deal with aliens to eliminate his enemies. So why would a Spectre try to kill Shepard? _

* * *

"John? Can I come in?"

Tali's voice seemed subdued, even through the amplification of the speaker. Shepard allowed himself a faint smile as he pushed through his fatigue. He'd been up almost all night trying to think of a way to break the news of the Spectre contract to her. He still had no idea what to say. _I really must be tired, to be so worried about this._

"Yeah, it's fine."

The door's soft hiss indicated the quarian's entry and Shepard looked up to see her standing over him. Her body language indicated concern. Tali took a seat next to him and draped her left arm across his shoulder. "Samara told me about the Spectre, she said you were worried about telling me."

John nodded. "Yeah. I tried not to think about it before, but the meeting with the council…" He let out a long, relieved breath, _Thank. You. Samara._

"It's okay." She felt the tense muscles in his back and started gently kneading his shoulder. "You're under a lot of stress. Don't beat yourself up over it."

The Commander closed his eyes and basked in the massage. "That's nice."

"You're very tense. You could to stand to loosen up a little."

"Did you have something in mind?" He mumbled.

"It's been a while since you've allowed yourself any shore leave." She began, now engrossed in the task of bending the stubborn muscles into submission. "I was thinking a, what do you call them? A picnic?"

The Commander turned his head to stare at her, his eyebrows raised. "That sounds like a wonderful idea, but, where did you hear about picnics?"

She shrugged, pausing the massage momentarily to deliver the gesture. "With the tech specialists and dock workers applying Synn's upgrades to the Normandy, I've had a lot more free time than usual." Shepard felt her hands resume their steady rub on his scapula. "I've spent some of that time researching human relationships."

Shepard pursed his lips in thought. "That sounds good. I'll go get the foodstuffs." He started to rise, but felt Tali's grip on his shoulder pull him back to the couch.

"Not yet, you can't carry anything with your shoulder the way it is." She laughed.

The Commander smirked. "All right Miss vas Normandy, you can finish."

The quarian spent a few more minutes kneading his back muscles, finally forcing the stubborn tissues to relax. John felt as though his back had been treated by a steam-roller.

"You really went to town on that massage." He chuckled, flexing his shoulder as they entered the elevator to the mess hall.

Tali tilted her head quizzically, prompting a full blown laugh from her fiancée. "It's a human expression, it means you really gave it a full work-over."

She nodded. "So, I was thinking the presidium? You know, for our location?"

Shepard pursed his lips in thought. "That sounds good."

* * *

Revision note:

**Easily the fastest revision of any chapter I've done, thoroughly enjoyed fleshing out the dialogue between Veraidian and SB, also, I really like what happened with the Thane section upon rewrite.**

Original Author's Note:

**The next chapter is going to be… well… I'll let it be a surprise. Let's just say that Veraidian is… vigilant.**


	24. Ep 5: Ch 2: The Presidium

**Chapter 24: The Presidium**

* * *

The presidium was a massive ring that connected the five arms of the Citadel. The structure's interior had been modified to house an almost unbroken lake running along the inside of its outer wall. The inner wall of the construct had been fitted with hologram projectors, mimicking an Earth-blue sky. Apparently, most of the species in the galactic community hailed from home planets with nitrogen-oxygen atmospheres.

Shepard and Tali strolled along the wide metal walkways, drinking in the beautiful green landscaping that adorned the banks of the artificial body of water encircling the presidium. They stopped at the conduit, the ancient gateway to Ilos.

"So many memories…" Shepard mused. _This was the device that had allowed them to stop Sovereign. Both Synn and Vigil had stated that this was the Prothean's first successful attempt to reverse engineer a mass relay. Maybe there was some way to use the relays as weapons. He'd discuss that with the Vanguard later._

Tali carefully examined his face, looking for some hint as to his mood. Finding none, she nudged him forward. The two had to stop for a Keeper as it passed, one of the bizarre, four legged insectoids that maintained the Citadel and its inner workings.

They progressed towards one of the ring's many private gardens. After a short distance, the metal path gave way to stone paving, flanked on each side by rows of thin, green, wispy trees.

Shepard's eyes were constantly scanning the area. Something Wrex had said to him all those years back kept echoing in his mind, _"Ten to one there's a sniper watching our every step."_

Tali caught sight of the Commander's vigilance and gave him an elbow to the ribs. "We're here to relax."

The Quarian's gentle coercion bumped the sidearm on his belt, producing the exact opposite effect that she'd intended. John kept his apprehension under wraps, however, and gave her a smile. The Quarian felt her heart flutter at the disarming expression and seemed to gain a new spring in her step.

The couple's chosen destination crept up on them as the trees to either side began to thin. A gentle stream flowed from an artificial rock recessed into the turf lawn. Shepard subconsciously steered them past it, his instinct warning him that the water's constant rush could mask signs of danger.

His companion perceived his reasoning and again gave him a somewhat caged stare. "John, this is the presidium, if we can't rest here, where _will_ you feel comfortable?"

"I'm sorry," he sighed. _Normally, he would have felt safe here, but his gut told him that something was off._

"We'll be fine. Here, under this tree, it's perfect!" her enthusiasm was infectious and Shepard couldn't help but grin slightly.

_She was right, the tree was indeed perfect. It sat atop a large hill overlooking a relatively large section of the park. Two trees rested past a shallow defilade between the hill and the lake, making an arch with their branches that framed the water in a picturesque snapshot. Not only was the location calm and peaceful, it offered little cover for approaching hostiles._

They laid the cloth flat gently under the tree's spreading branches and began to set out the food. Tali pulled a generous slice of watermelon from the basket she'd been carrying. The smell of the crimson fruit made the Commander salivate and his eyebrows rose in surprise. "Where'd you get that? I haven't seen one of those since I was a Staff Sergeant."

The Quarian tilted her head playfully. "It's a secret."

"How did you know about-…"

"_IIIII_ asked mess Sergeant Gardner if he could think of anything you hadn't had recently."

"But, you can't eat it…" his voice trailed off as he realized the simple fact.

She shrugged. "There's plenty of things I can't eat, that's what these are for." She patted one of the red and black canisters from the basket.

"I'm gonna feel guilty eating it though. We can both have the stuff in those cans but-"

"Oh stop it!" she huffed. "I got it for you. Enjoy yourself!"

He managed a weak smile and helped her unpack the rest of the food. A few minutes later, they had the entirety of the basket emptied, each of the canisters open and waiting for the pair to pick through. The couple held hands and uttered a brief blessing before beginning their meal.

Tali took a small UV sterilizer and ran it over the top of one of her flavored food tubes before tearing off the seal and inserting it into the special receiver on the underside of her helmet. Shepard selected a similar tube and pealed the top open. He gave it a brief sniff before putting his lips to the top and drinking in a mouthful.

Tali could barely restrain a laugh as Shepard squinted hard and blinked several times, evidently unprepared for the tangy flavor of the stuff.

"That's…" John grinned and took another sip. "Tastes like the sour green apples back home."

"Do tell…" Tali took another pull of the liquefied nutrient mix.

"We had a small orchard, nothing big, about thirty trees, five different kinds of fruit." The Commander stared up at the artificial sky, perusing his memories. "Green apples, naval oranges, limes, yavva berries, and- hmmm… there was another, but I can't remember it."

Tali smiled behind her mask, trying to imagine what it would have been like to grow up planet side, _No resource shortages to speak of, being able to roam without the constricting demands of an enviro-suit…_

* * *

Roughly half an hour later, the couple had finished their feast and sat talking over the lavender cloth. Veraidian watched as they happily chatted, their topic irrelevant to him. The Spectre's fears had been piqued at first; _Shepard's vigilance suggested that he'd known of the strike team's presence._

Nurem's fears were rapidly allayed after the two had begun their meal. _The Commander's demeanor had quickly gone from alert to relaxed. It seemed an odd choice, dining outside the safety of the Normandy, but the appeal of such a quiet locale was readily apparent, even to someone as hardened as Nurem. The Spectre flared his mandibles in the turian equivalent of a smile. Shepard had made himself an easy target. Sure, the location wasn't optimal, but that hardly mattered. The target was as good as dead._

* * *

Samara T'Roal hadn't tailed any targets in the presidium before, but stealth was only really a concern as applied to avoiding C-sec. That was not to say that they would have arrested her for following Shepard and Tali, especially given their connection, but it was best to avoid any altercations nonetheless.

The Justicar had had an uneasy feeling when she'd seen Shepard and Tali gathering some red and black canisters from the mess hall, but hadn't been able to pinpoint the source of her apprehension. When the two had left the Normandy without saying a word to anyone other than EDI, T'Roal's concern became focused. _Leaving the ship alone and only lightly armed was a recipe for disaster, considering that the assassin was still unknown and at large._

The asari watched the couple from a distance as they finished their meal, far enough away to avoid detection, but close enough to spring into action within a few minutes should the need arise.

* * *

When Jacob asked him later, Shepard hadn't been able to explain it. He'd felt an incomprehensible urge to throw himself at Tali, knocking her to the ground. The sniper shot had screamed past above their heads, lined up perfectly to hit one if the other had been missed.

The Commander looked up in the direction the shot had been fired before climbing to his feet, sidearm in hand. He activated the light personal shield generator on his belt and snapped up against the trunk of a thick tree. Tali's reaction had been equally swift.

As soon as Shepard was off of her, the orange hologram of her omni-tool flashed on around her forearm. Tali bolted for the nearest tree opposite her companion. A second shot shattered the bark on Shepard's cover, collapsing his shields and burying itself in his shoulder.

John's cry of pain was all the confirmation the assailant needed. Three hit-men bolted from the surrounding foliage and charged up to their prey's motionless form. The mercenaries' guns were trained on Shepard, ready to fire the moment they cleared the brow of the shallow hill that blocked their shot.

Tali felt the adrenaline coursing through her veins. _The sniper hadn't hit anything vital, but the wound might have incapacitated him. If the assassins gained a clear line of fire…_

She keyed her omni tool and sent her combat drone 'Chikktika' across the short distance. The small orb had barely reached the Commander when he decided he'd waited long enough. One of the mercenaries flew sideways into his companions as John leapt to his feet, arm extended. Tali saw the green aura around Shepard's arm as he closed his fist, lifting the merc into the air before tossing him into a nearby tree.

The man's head exploded from the impact as Chikktika skittered over to one of the two mercs trying to get back to his feet and sent a blast of plasma into the man's spine, permanently stopping all of his movement. Some of the superheated gas spilled over onto the soldier's teammate, overloading his shield.

He managed to squeeze off a burst of rifle fire at the drone, shattering its holographic shield. Tali drew a bead on the soldier and loosed three shots in quick succession, each finding its mark. The merc clutched his chest as two rounds entered his heart before slumping to the earth as the final slug drilled into his skull, braining him.

Another sniper round echoed through the park. Chikktika sparked and smoked as she spiraled to the ground.

* * *

The Quarian's combat drone had blocked his shot, but the sniper's line of fire was now clean and the Commander's shields were likely still recharging. He sighted on Shepard's head and tensed his finger on the trigger, waiting for the perfect moment.

* * *

Although she had been unable to ascertain the sniper's position from the first series of shots, Samara now had a fix on his location. The rifle barrel gleamed in the white lighting of the presidium's artificial sky, pinpointing the sharpshooter's perch in one of the atrium's lush trees. The asari sent a heavy biotic push into the base of the plant, splintering the bark and snapping the trunk.

* * *

Shepard turned on his heel at the sound of the snapping trunk. Bark fractured outward like so many tent stakes, revealing a whitish mess of shredded wood underneath. A rifle barrel gleamed as the tree's sole inhabitant flailed, desperately trying to find a way to save himself as the tree buckled. A sole shot seared past, several feet wide, and then the canopy made contact with the ground, yielding a colossal thump.

* * *

He heard the cracking and immediately knew his chance was gone. In a last act of desperation, he squeezed off a final shot, but the bullet strayed far to the left of the target, sailing into the soft turf behind him. A blur of green, blue and white rushed past the sniper's eyes and ended in blackness.

* * *

Two more mercenaries emerged from their hiding places, rifles hanging by their sides and hands held high in the air. Samara rounded the top of the hill, entering Shepard's view. She immediately caught sight of the two soldiers approaching and pulled them into the air before slamming them back into the artificial earth with bone splintering force. Tali winced at the wet snaps that accompanied the shattering of their skeletal structures.

"They were trying to surrender." Shepard's voice was stern.

"Do you really believe that?" her voice as level as if nothing had happened.

The Commander heaved a sigh and looked at his shoulder. The skin had closed and the blood would be replenishing, but Chakwas would have to extract the bullet fragments and shave the uneven bone.

"We should return to the Normandy." Samara's voice was even, but firm. She would accept no contradiction.

* * *

"You never seem to be able to stay out of trouble. You're lucky Samara saw you leaving the ship." Chakwas was busy extracting fragments of the sniper shot from Shepard's shoulder. Tali watched intently, her gaze transfixed by the procedure.

"She certainly showed up at the right time. It seems like every time I go anywhere, the assassin is waiting for me. It's getting a bit old." Shepard's expression was grim. "What about the merc?"

"He'll live," she withdrew the tweezers from the incision above his arm. "I'm not sure about leaving him unrestrained though." Chakwas deposited the slug fragment in a small metal box with a 'clink'.

Shepard cast a glance at the turian lying across one of the med-bay's beds. Samara stood no more than a meter distant from the unconscious soldier, ready to rend the man in two if he tried anything. "I doubt he'll give us any trouble. Can you get him lucid enough for questioning?"

"He suffered a minor concussion, a broken arm and several bruises," the doctor frowned. "If you want him to give you coherent answers, it'll be best to wait for a day or two."

Tali spoke up. "I scanned his omni-tool. There weren't many details, but I managed to trace some of the messages to…" She looked at the name on her omni-tool's holo display. "Veraidian Nurem."

John closed his eyes, his face displaying mild hints of exasperation. "Nurem." He clenched his jaw and opened his eyes. "Wonderful."

"You know him?" Tali questioned.

Shepard nodded, "Yeah, turian Spectre, works as a hit-man for the Council. At least, he _used_ to work for the Council."

Chakwas huffed. "Another Saren Arterius. How many Spectres will the Council have to disbar before realizing that the whole organization is a bad idea?" She quickly realized what she'd said and added, "No offense Commander."

Shepard dismissed the comment with a wave of his hand. "He hasn't been disbarred, not yet anyway. What worries me is that he isn't working alone, no Spectre has that kind of money, not even Veraidian."

"How much?" The Doctor queried, waiting for Shepard's skin to seal itself before sterilizing the exterior of the incision for the fourth time.

"25 billion."

Chakwas sighed and put a hand to her forehead. "That's- a lot."

* * *

Revision note:

**I realize that the additions to the ambush sequence may break up the continuity a bit, but I'm at a loss for another way to write the scene. I'm very much open to suggestions.**

* * *

Original Author's Note:

**The ambush scene has gone through more than four iterations now. The first had a knife fight, the second added Veraidian, the next removed him, then I added Samara, you get the idea.**

**There are probably going to be two more knife fights in the story by the end of chapter 40, maybe 3 by the end. The combat still turned out decently, I guess, but it lacks the same punch that the knife scene had.**


	25. Ep 5: Ch 3: Na'Vera

**Chapter 25: Na'Vera**

* * *

"It's disturbing, to say the least, but with the Council's previous choice in turian Spectres, I'm not surprised." Anderson's face was grim. "This is the second Spectre in as many years to be confirmed as rogue."

"It's actually been almost twice that long." Shepard stood leaning against the railing next to the Captain turned Councilor. "That's not the point though. He's not working alone. The bounty on my head is set at 25 billion. Veraidian can't front that kind of fee."

"Not many people could. The only party that comes to mind with that kind of money is the Shadow Broker."

"There are others," John answered "But I can't think of a motive for any of them."

The two stood silent for a few minutes, contemplating the situation.

"Liara T'Soni contacted me last night. She says she may be close to locating him. Somehow she seemed to know about the attempts on your life." Anderson's mention of the asari sparked a thought in Shepard's mind.

"Liara's built up a substantial information network over the past two years. She's been hunting him for a while." The Commander mused aloud. "I think it had something to do with him killing a friend of hers."

"Veraidian was arrested this morning," Anderson informed him. "Between him and the sniper you captured we should be able to get some kind of lead."

"Just don't torture them. After a while victims will say anything to make the pain stop." _Using Garrus' words from the Purgatory seemed a perfect fit, and thinking back on it, the turian was right._ "I'll see you later, hopefully we'll get this whole mess sorted out before then."

Anderson nodded as he watched his longtime friend stroll out of the Council office, black armor gleaming like the scales on a dragon. _Whoever had it in for Shepard was in for one hell of a fight._

* * *

Thane stood alone on the railing at the lower markets in the Zakera ward. _He'd made his decision, now the question was how he would go about it. A direct assault was out of the question. His target was too seasoned, to expertly trained to be brought down in such a foolhardy manner. Returning to the Normandy and trying to fit back in wouldn't work either. Shepard was a forgiving man, almost to a fault, but he wasn't stupid._

_NO! Why was he even __**contemplating**__ how to kill Shepard? ! The human had_ _helped him save Kolyat for Arashu's sake._ The Drell pulled out the holo of Kolyat. Around the bottom of the projector was a small inscription, a warning about what would happen if he failed to deliver. _This was insanity! What reason did he have to think that Veraidian wouldn't kill Kolyat once Shepard had been dealt with? What reason did he have to think the turian hadn't killed his son already?_

Thane wrestled with the thoughts for the thousandth time, but the outcome was the same. _If Shepard died, Kolyat_ _**might**_ _live. If he failed to kill the Commander, the boy's death was a certainty._ Thane realized he was letting his emotions surface again. _Over the past few weeks it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep them in check, much like Shepard._

_Whether the lapses in self control were due to a lack of sleep or overabundance of stress, he couldn't be certain._ Whatever the reason, the drell was becoming concerned. _It was possible that his illness was at fault. The Hanar had tried their utmost to forestall the disease's progress, but it was only a matter of time before it consumed him._

Thane pushed himself away from the railing and turned to face the bustling market of Zakera's fourteenth level. _He should be better, for Shepard, for Kolyat. He was letting his emotions rule, and to what end? Shepard had saved the galaxy more than once and this was how he was to be repaid? Kolyat had gone without a father most of his life. Did he truly deserve to be abandoned yet again?_

Thane watched the patrons haggling with the shop-keepers; some sparking heated debates, other genuinely enjoying their transactions. He caught sight of a human male walk by, holding his son's hand. The boy laughed as his father cracked a joke. Krios was again possessed by his emotions.

_He had denied Kolyat that opportunity. The least he could do was protect the boy. Shepard didn't deserve this. There _had_ to be an alternative, but what was it?_

* * *

Shepard and Tali sat in the port observation deck, watching as the stars floated past, tiny white diamonds against the onyx backdrop of space. Subtle blue-white tendrils of gas occasionally snaked across the window, a reminder that the Normandy was traveling through the outer edges of the Citadel nebula. The Quarian leaned against his shoulder, her arms loosely draped around his neck.

"I'm sorry, John. It was a stupid idea." She heaved a deep sigh. "You'd think out of all the places in citadel space, the presidium would be the safest." A slight edge crept into her voice. _Why would anyone want to hurt, let alone kill this man?_

"It wasn't a stupid idea. I enjoyed it." She could hear the sincerity in his voice. "A least, until the shooting started." He smiled and gently rubbed her back with one hand. "Besides, it's not like we can just live under a rock. Someone wise once told me 'It's better to die on your feet than live on your knees'. I believe that was you."

Tali mused over the Commander's words, remembering the conversation he'd referenced. _He was finally remembering what he had learned aboard the first Normandy, the only thing each of them was ultimately responsible for was their own actions. Yes, they were responsible for each other's wellbeing, but only so far as it was within their ability._ "I guess you're right," she said finally. "The Reapers aren't going to kill themselves after all."

The couple sat silently for several more minutes, watching as the tiny pinpricks of light drifted by. Shepard caught the quiet sound of Tali's breathing and realized she had fallen asleep. He smiled. _If anyone deserved the rest, she did._ The Commander had nearly dozed off himself when Samara reentered the room.

"My apologies, Shepard, I did not mean to intrude." The asari was just about to leave when Shepard called softly after her. "Samara…"

The Commander gently lifted Tali's arms from his shoulders and picked her up. 'It's okay' he mouthed. The asari nodded as he walked past, careful not to bump Tali against any of the walls. Shepard took Tali up to his room and slowly laid her on the bed before taking the elevator down to the sleeper pods at the front of the ship.

_Someday soon, she wouldn't have to sleep in engineering._ He made a mental note to discuss installing a particulate air filtration system and UV decon unit to the hall outside his cabin with Mordin before stepping into the sleeper pod and nodding off himself.

* * *

Tali awoke to the soft blue lighting of the fish tank in Shepard's cabin. She sat up and looked around momentarily before realizing where she was. "EDI, where's Shepard?"

"The Commander spent the night in one of the sleeper pods. He is currently speaking with Garrus in the mess hall." The AI's voice rolled through the speakers in a smooth, comforting tone.

Tali yawned and stretched before swinging out of the bed. _Someday soon she'd be able to sleep in this bed every night._ The thought was exhilarating. _The mattress was a vast improvement over the cot she used in engineering._

When Tali arrived in the mess hall, she could hear Garrus and Shepard's conversation already in full swing.

"We've got it down to a few dates, the problem is cementing one of them with the migrant fleet. We're going to be bringing most of the resources, but the flotilla wants to get a stable location before the ceremony."

Tali's heart leapt. Shepard was telling Garrus about the wedding ceremony.

"What kind of resources would we be able to supply?" Garrus queried.

"Food mostly, apparently it's 'bring your own food' type thing, but we're going to bring extra."

Tali smiled behind her mask and strolled up to the Commander.

"I found myself in your cabin this morning. You wouldn't happen to have any idea how that happened would you?" her joking question elicited a grin from her fiancée.

Judging by the dark circles under his eyes, Shepard was quite tired. _Evidently the sleeper pods were far less comfortable than the mattress he had grown accustomed to._

"Did you sleep well?"

"Quite. You've got a nice setup in there John."

"Commander, Tali." Garrus excused himself from the table with a nod to each of them and returned to the forward batteries.

"I was just talking to Garrus about the Khelat ceremony. Now that Veraidian's behind bars, I think we can continue with our plans. What do you think?"

"I think that's a wonderful idea."

* * *

_Sender: Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay, Migrant Fleet Admiralty Board_

_Recipient: Tali'Zorah vas Normandy_

_Tali, I received this letter from your father about a month before your trial. In it, he told me to send you this message if he died before your Khelat-Bond. I've included a copy of his letter to me as well as the message he wanted me to deliver to you._

_-Shala_

Tali scrolled down on the data-pad, allowing Shala's attached message to come into view.

_Sender: Admiral Rael'Zorah vas Rayya, Migrant Fleet Admiralty Board_

_Recipient: Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay, Migrant Fleet Admiralty Board_

_Sister, I write this privately due to the sensitive personal nature of the packet attached. As you are well aware, Tali'Zorah joined the crew of the Normandy several months ago. Her affections for Captain Shepard vas Normandy are no mystery to myself, and, I am certain, not unbeknownst to you either. The Normandy's captain has recently sent me a great deal of correspondence, his most recent note requested my permission to ask for Tali's hand in a Khelat Bond. _

_I have, after much consideration consented to this. Though he is not one of our own, The Commander is an honorable and upright man; there is no other as deserving of Tali's affections._

_You must be aware, my sister, of how close we are to striking against the geth. Much research as of late has been invested in finding new ways to dominate their processes, and we are making swift progress. If the war with the geth calls soon, as it likely will, there is a not insignificant chance that I will perish in it. Should this come to pass before Tali is bonded, I request that you deliver this message to her upon a settlement of a date for the ceremony, and tell the Commander to treat her well._

_-Rael'Zorah_

Tali's hands trembled as she pulled the up the link. She opened the message and was surprised when the data-pad's holo-projector sprang to life, generating an image of Rael from the shoulders up. Tali nearly broke down when she realized that the man's face was unobstructed by the mask that had always separated them. _For the first time in 25 years, Tali'Zorah saw her father's face._ She could see traces of tears on the elder quarian's cheeks.

"Tali-... Na'Vera-... if you have received this message, it is because I have passed before your Khelat-" Rael's voice faltered. "Before your Khelat-bond. I have been aware of your feelings for Commander Shepard vas Normandy for some time now, and he has asked my permission for your hand in a union, or, in his terms, marriage." Tears began building in his eyes. Tali felt her throat knotting.

"Though he is not one of our people, the Commander is a man of integrity. He loves you Tali." Rael's voice cracked as the tears slowly began to trail down his weathered face.

"I loved your mother, I loved you. I know I have not been very vocal about my affections, and no words will ever heal that wound. Still, I ask for what forgiveness you can manage. I want you to be happy, Na'Vera, if Shepard truly is the man you want to spend the rest of your life with, you have my blessing."

Rael struggled to maintain what little composure he could. "Be at peace Na'Vera-... my daughter, I… love you" He broke down momentarily, allowing the emotion to carry him. "Ta'Relat-… Your father."

* * *

Revision Note:

**Mostly spacing additions, not really a whole lot to say.**

* * *

Original Author's Note:

**Thane's internal dialogue flowed naturally, but didn't grip me in its first draft. After reading this chapter, Demented Assassin came though yet again and called my attention to the section. The addition captures much more of the original feel that had been intended.**

**The observation deck scene went though more iterations than I care to count. Tali and Shepard originally had half a page's worth of dialogue but every syllable of it felt forced.  
The Assassination problem is far from over, but the next two chapters will be much happier, so don't expect any combat 'til chapter 27 at earliest.**


	26. Ep 6: Ch 1: To Stand on Ceremony

**Episode 6: The Commander and the Quarian**

**Chapter 26: To Stand on Ceremony**

_

* * *

Tali was just finishing up her work on the drive core for the night when Shepard had shown up. As usual, he had intentionally made his footfalls heavier to alert her of his presence, a gesture that Tali found sweet somehow. The quarian turned to face him, a smile across her face beneath the violet mask._

"_John, it's good t-" She stopped with a small gasp, bringing her hands up to her helmet as though to cover her mouth. _

"_What's wrong?" Shepard's face displayed genuine concern._

"_Commander, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"_

"_Commander? A second ago you called me by my first name. Why the sudden formality?"_

_Tali slumped. "I-… …I didn't mean to offend you…"_

"_Offend me? Why would I be offended?"_

_The quarian shifted nervously, wringing her hands. "In… in quarian society, we_ never_ call a ship's captain by their first name alone, only their family or closest friends would ever dare. It's considered disrespectful for anyone else."_

_Shepard grasped her hands, bringing their nervous dance to a halt. "And you don't think you're one of my closest friends? We just took down Saren together for crying out loud."_

_He brought his hand to the chin of her helmet and lifted her eyes to meet his. Tali shivered as he looked at her. _What was with that look? His body language indicated some awkwardness, despite his words, but there was something in his eyes. Longing? Keelah! Could he really have feelings for her?_ Tali's heart fluttered. _No! She had to stop thinking about it! She was only setting herself up for-

_Shepard looked down. "You have no idea how long I've wanted you to call me by my first name…"_

"_Wh- What- What do you mean?" She managed. "Shepard?"_

"_John, please Tali, call me John."_

He did. Something in his voice, the _way_ he asked. He did have feelings for her! _"John…"_

_Goosebumps rippled down Shepard's back. He smiled and her legs nearly gave out. "It means a lot to hear you say it."_

If there was ever a time to tell him, it was now._ Tali inhaled deeply, regaining a fragment of her composure. "Shepard I-"_

"_John," he corrected._

"_Shep- John," She had to make a conscious effort to catch herself. _She had to tell him now, before she lost what little nerve she had left._ "I, need to… confess something-… I wouldn't blame you if you thought I needed to leave; it could interfere with standard operation, cause problems with the crew…" She tried to fidget, but Shepard's gentle grasp on her hands prevented it. "I've… I'm… You're…" She faltered._

_The Commander gave her hands a gentle squeeze. "I'm here for you Tali. Tell me what's wrong."_

'I'm here for you.' Dammit, Shepard, you know just what to say to make it harder on me._ The sentence came out as a whisper; timid, uncertain, and utterly innocent. "I-… I think I'm-… I love… you." Tali started. _Where the geth had that come from? ! Had she really said it? Had she finally voiced her feelings? Out of nowhere, she'd blurted the affection she'd held for him for so long, never having dared hope that her sentiments would be reciprocated._ "I-… Keelah, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to…" She tried to sink to her knees, ashamed at having emotions towards someone so far above her, but yet again, the Commander's firm hands kept her where she was. _

_She felt the grip on her hands vanish for a second before it was replaced by a tight squeeze encompassing her chest and back. She realized that Shepard was embracing her. "There's no reason to be sorry." He released the hug and held her shoulders, staring at her eyes. "You may not have noticed, but you _have_ been getting preferential treatment, and it's _not_ because you're an Admiral's daughter."_

_Tali felt dizzy. _This can't be happening! I'm going to wake up in a few minutes to find the engine room empty. Shepard will be in his cabin, I'll be here alone.

_She covertly pinched herself, but the Commander noticed despite her efforts to conceal the gesture._

"_I certainly hope it's not a dream. I love you Tali'Zorah."_

The memory flowed through her mind, a warm echo of comfort and happiness that kept her awake through the night. Tomorrow she would marry the man she'd first confessed her love to nearly four years ago on the original Normandy in a blue-lit engine room.

* * *

Tali felt as though her heart would explode. She stood in the private quarters of the Morana, the largest quarian liveship in the fleet; the one her father had served on before transferring to the Rayya; the same ship she'd been aboard almost five years ago at the start of her Va'Seras, her pilgrimage. The dreadnaught sized vessel was one of the oldest in the fleet, being about 300 years old.

The massive ship had been selected to house the most important social event that the quarian people had hosted in over thirty years. Today, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, daughter of Admiral Rael'Zorah vas Rayya would become Tali'Zorah _kas Shepard_ vas Normandy, wife of the galaxy's most renowned hero. The young quarian shook with anticipation, joy and fear. She was about to become bonded with the only man in her life that mattered to her.

"Hold still, girl!" Rikka'Lae vas Andras put her hand on her hip, waiting for the young woman in front of her to stop trembling. "I can't get you ready if you're constantly moving."

The other quarian was about Tali's height and dressed in an azure environment suit. The customary gold and blue 'veil' she wore had been replaced with a ceremonial cloth of similar design. The notable difference between the two garments was found in their length. While Rikka's usual attire stopped around the lower thigh, the ceremonial veil had two extended lengths of fabric, one hanging from each knee, creating an ethereal flowing effect when she walked.

Rikka was busy trying to fit Tali with a similar garment, this one woven of pale, almost white, violet thread with silver-gold as the secondary color. The veils were stored and saved for Khelat ceremonies such as this one.

Tali felt her attendant tighten the cloth across her back and fasten a thin silver band around her midsection. She noticed that the extra fabric on this veil enabled it to cover both the outer sides and front of her legs, while the rest was full and flowing, almost reaching past the small of her back. She couldn't help but think of the veil she and Kasumi were working on.

"You know, when Nolta told me he'd been assigned to your task force for Haestrom, I didn't believe him." Rikka momentarily stopped her work as she called up the memory. "He said it was an honor to serve with you. 'The savior of the Citadel,' he'd said, 'she fought alongside the savior of the Citadel'. He'd thought it would bring honor to the Lae family."

Tali could hear her friend's voice choke as the thought of her husband's death surfaced. "He did, Rikka," Tali began. "He wiped out an entire geth platoon, plucked one of their drop-ships straight out of the sky."

Rikka let her head droop. "He thought of you as a leader Tali'Zorah. The hero of the quarian people."

"He spoke of you often," The younger quarian mused. "Said he missed your cooking."

The two quarians laughed at the joke, Nolta had always been the impromptu chef aboard the Andras when the official cook fell ill, which was often.

"Does he have biotics?" Rikka asked, resuming her task.

"John? Yes, why?"

"Make sure he uses them tonight." A sparkle seemed to shine from behind Rikka's mask. "You'll FLIP!"

Tali blushed. "I, uh, we'll probably- erm, just skip those first."

Rikka shrugged. "Fair enough, but I can tell you now, Nolta was one creative son of a shuttle. It's crazy what a few mass effect fields can do…"

"Rikka!"

"Facts are facts, hon. If you don't try it your first night, you _have_ to try it the second time."

* * *

The Morana's atrium had been decorated to the limit of quarian festivities. Bright banners hung from the walls, reflecting the soft illumination of the chamber's massive lights. Small sets of portable maintenance lights had been positioned under each of the banners, adding to the purple and silver glow that the fabric already cast.

Tali stared up at the curved ceiling, recalling the last time she'd been here. Like the night of her Va'Seras, the room was packed. All of the quarian guests were adorned in ceremonial veils, lending a mystic feel to the atmosphere.

The Quarian could pick out several individuals among the crowd. The admirals stood arrayed to the left, the only noticeable absence being Shala, who would be performing the ceremony. Kal'Reegar and Rikka'Lae stood next to several other quarians that she or Shepard had helped or been acquainted with in some form or other. Tali went over their names in her head; Lia'Vael nar Ulnay, now vas Sethala, Captain Taar'Dei vas Netoa, her former captain Kar'Dana, even Jona'Re, Netoa's chief medical officer. Bardi'Reska vas Rayya's distinctive pink and white ceremonial veil caught her attention and sparked a chuckle from the young quarian. Bardi smiled behind his mask and waved to her.

On the right of the atrium, a small band of humans stood with the Normandy's crew. Councilor Anderson, Admiral Hackett, even John's mother, Hannah Shepard stood watching. All of the guests had been fitted with environment suits to prevent contamination of the Morana's delicate clean-room environment.

It had been hell trying to get them admittance to the migrant fleet, but John's status in concert with Anderson's council position and Tali's service had eventually swayed the admirals.

Tali saw Shepard ascend the platform, fully armored and weaponless. He was wearing a modified helmet incorporating a full, clear, detachable facemask, allowing her to see his smile. The wedding had been organized as a blended ceremony, a mixture of the quarian ritual and its human counterpart.

Shala lifted her arms and addressed the room. "This gathering has been called to witness the joining of Tali'Zorah vas Normandy with Captain John David Shepard vas Normandy in the sacred union of the Khelat-Bond, and in Holy Matrimony." Tali felt her blood coursing through her body, the pulse even stronger than it had been earlier. _This was it! It was finally happening!_

Shala recited an ancient blessing in the old language, eliciting a collective "Keelah se'lai" from the audience.

After a minute of silence, Shala handed Tali a black and green cloth, which the younger quarian proceeded to wrap around her forearm. Shepard was presented with a purple and gold fabric and did likewise.

"Captain Shepard, do you take Tali'Zorah as your lawful wedded wife, and do you solemnly swear to protect and cherish her, to keep her in sickness and in health, for rich or for poor, for better or for worse, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Shepard's voice echoed in Tali's head.

"And do you, Tali'Zorah take Captain Shepard as your lawful wedded husband, and do you solemnly swear to honor and love him, to keep him in sickness and in health, for rich or for poor, for better or for worse, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Tali responded, the words engraved into her mind from the long rehearsal two days ago.

Another minute of silence passed as Tali and Shepard both removed the gloves from their left hands. Shala again broke the silence. "Do you have the rings?"

Shepard drew a pair of golden-platinum bands from his belt, repeating the sentence as Shala instructed.

"With this ring, I thee wed."

Tali felt a shiver travel through her body as the cold metal contacted her skin. The ring gleamed brilliantly against her soft, sand-colored hand.

The Quarian reverently took the second ring from Shepard's hand and repeated the mantra. She looked at his five fingered hand and nearly panicked. _Which finger was the ring supposed to go on?_ John sensed her confusion and almost imperceptibly wiggled his ring finger, a knowing smile shone from behind his mask. The Quarian recollected herself and slid the band home.

"Place your hands together." Shala's gentle instruction followed the motion.

Shepard inverted his hand, palm-up, and waited for Tali to place her palm in his. Shala silently unwrapped the cloths around their forearms and wove them together over the couple's interlocked digits, binding them together.

"Tali'Zorah vas Normandy nar Rayya, you are now Tali'Zorah kas Shepard vas Normandy." The Admiral raised her hands as if in worship. "Let this proclamation be known among the quarian people, these two are now forever bound." Shala let her hands fall and began to utter the final phrase of the ceremony. "I now pronounce you man and wife, you may k-..." The elder quarian's voice stalled as she recalled the rehearsal. They had never actually taken off the masks.

A quiet gasp arose from the audience when the quarians realized what she had been about to say. Tali rested her free hand on Shala's arm. "It's okay, Shala, we prepared."

Admiral Raan nodded her head uncertainly and began again. "I now pronounce you man and wife. You may… kiss… the bride."

Tali let her eyes close momentarily as she reached for the Commander's face-mask. She could hear the gentle hiss as her helmet depressurized, releasing its grasp on her own face-plate. The auditorium was totally silent and the lights dimmed, hiding Tali and Shepard's faces from the crowd. Shepard looked into his wife's glowing eyes, glittering silver in the faint light and slowly brought his mouth to hers.

Total silence surrounded them as they embraced, passionately savoring their deep affection. Tali's mind traveled through their history as they kissed; A dark alleyway in the bowels of the citadel, faint red light bathing the area in an ominous glow; standing in front of the council, exposing Saren for the villain he was; rescuing the colonists on Feros from the Thorian's insipid grasp. She remembered Noveria, where Shepard had killed Benezia and spared the Rachni; Virmire, where she'd seen him cry for the first time as Chief Williams died; Therum and Ilos scrolled through her memory; finally the Citadel, where Saren and Sovereign were finally subdued.

She saw the Normandy burning as Shepard's body was thrown to an icy grave, tearing away her will to live; two years after, she'd met him again on Freedom's Progress, restoring a sense of meaning to her life. Now, nearly four and a half years after she had met the Commander for the first time, she stood aboard the Morana, married to the man himself.

* * *

The Commander and the quarian descended the dais hand in hand after replacing their masks. Several guests vied for their attention, but Shepard had one person in particular that he wanted Tali to see face to face, as it were. Tali had spoken to her (at the time) future mother-in-law, on only two occasions prior, but the quarian still felt unsure about the meeting.

A brief walk took the pair through several of the crowd, finally stopping in front of Hannah Michelle Shepard. The Commander's mother was a tall, trim woman, with an air of grace and warmth around her that emanated through the clear facemask she wore.

"Jonathan!" Hannah's eyes sparkled with unshed tears. She greeted her son with a hug that broke Tali's grasp of his hand. She released the embrace and followed up with a hug to the Commander's somewhat bewildered bride.

"It's good to finally meet you in person, Tali'Zorah, Jonathan speaks of nothing else."

The quarian cringed. "Th- thank you, Mrs. Shepard."

"Tali, you're part of the family now, call me mom."

Tali was somewhat taken aback by the woman's forwardness, but Hannah was indeed her new mother-in-law, both by quarian and human tradition. She nodded awkwardly.

Almost as an afterthought, the elder woman added, "I'm sorry, I meant to ask: is it 'Tally' or 'Tahli'?"

"E- either one is, uh, fine." Tali nodded uncertainly.

They chatted for a few more minutes, discussing various details about life aboard the Normandy or Hannah's day job before Admiral Raan filtered into view just behind the couple, catching Mrs. Shepard's attention.

"Well Jonathan, be good to her." Hannah nodded at Tali, the tears in her eyes threatening to spill over. She turned again to face her new daughter-in-law. "If he's ever out-of-line, you call me. I'll straighten him out lickety-split."

Shala stepped forward after Shepard's mother had left, adorned in her own ceremonial cloth with the hood pulled back.

"It is good to see you so happy, child." The elder quarian dipped her head slightly, then ran her hand along the fringe of the veil.. "Your mother wore that veil at her Khelat. I've pulled a few strings Tali, it's yours now."

Tali was speechless. _The ceremonial cloths were sacred, to own one was nearly unheard of. Only the most famous, important figures in the fleet ever owned more than one veil, let alone a ceremonial garment._

"Shala, I, I, I can't accept this." She stammered.

"It is our gift, the gift of the quarian people to their sister, Tali'Zorah kas Shepard vas Normandy. Be well Tali. Keelah se'lai." Shala bowed and excused herself as another caller petitioned for their attention.

Bardi'Reska vas Rayya. The elder quarian was slightly bent with age, but still alert and full of life. Tali threw her arms around her old friend the moment he drew close.

"Ooof! Careful there, I ain't as young as I used to be."

She could see the glint of the old man's teeth through the mask as he smiled. "John, this is Bardi'Reska vas Rayya, he was chief engineer aboard the Rayya when I left for my pilgrimage."

"Nothin' more than a child when you went off on your Va'Seras." The tone in the aged quarian's voice betrayed both his amusement and his emotion. "Now look at ya, barely twenty five years old, already saved the citadel and bonded." He shook his head smiling. "Sure picked a good'un though."

Bardi offered a hand to the Commander, who accepted the gesture. "You take good care of her, Captain, I won't have anybody mistreatin' my star pupil." The Engineer's eyes welled up as he watched the human give Tali a quick side-hug.

"I will, Mr. Reska, of that you can be sure."

Bardi offered a final nod and excused himself as yet another caller appeared next to the couple.

* * *

Shepard stepped into his cabin, holding Tali as he crossed the threshold. The Quarian held her arms loose around his neck. The Commander slowly eased her down, letting her gain her footing before letting go completely.

"Well dear, here we are." He stated.

Tali tilted her head, "Dear?"

"It's a term of affection. Think 'dear to me'." He replied, caressing her helmeted head.

"I guess now I have to start calling you Ne'Bahnté." She quipped.

It was Shepard's turn to be confused.

"It means 'my lover' in the old tongue."

He smiled. "I'm gonna take a shower really quick, it gets pretty hot in that armor. I'll be right back."

Tali nodded then leaned back with her head canted at a suggestive angle. _It should get 'hot' enough when he gets out._ She smiled to herself as the door to the bathroom closed behind him.

* * *

Revision notes:

**Thanks to DarkDanny and two others whose names elude me, I had a LOT of material to sift through to finish the revised version of this chapter. As it stands, There were a mound of things that I wanted to add, or change but they simply didn't work I had planned on adding Kasumi to the scene where Tali is getting ready, but the rewrite refused to read enjoyably, it felt stilted and stiff.**

* * *

Original Author's Note:

**After a rather lengthy discussion about the previous chapter's mechanics with DA (what I'll be calling Demented Assassin in these notes from now on) the subject of quarian ceremonies came up. I've been keeping up with his current story 'Pilgrimage' and he mentioned something to the effect that it might be amusing if Bardi (one of the characters in said story) were to attend the wedding. I took this idea whole hog and incorporated more than a few other references to his work as well (After discussing it with him of course.)**

**It's beginning to look like we're forming something of a collaborative effort after all. :P JK**

**As to the ceremony, that was a challenge in itself. I originally had quarian vows in addition to the human vows, but decided to do something of a blend, as the quarians would likely hold the marital status in such high regard as to view such statements as redundant by this point in a given relationship.**

**The Binding of the Hands was originally Harold_Genhi's idea, I take no credit for it.**


	27. Ep 6: Ch 2: Shel'lahia, Bahnté

**Chapter 27: Shel'lahia, Bahnté**

* * *

Tali smiled as the door closed behind Shepard. She quickly checked for the red bag she'd stashed in the cabin the night before with EDI's help. A quick search located the item and Tali almost panicked as she heard the glass candle holders inside clink together when she picked it up. She peeked inside, fearing the bag would be filled with glass shards, but breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing all of the crystalline mounts intact.

She set to work positioning the candles around the edges of the room. Tali realized that she could hear the running water from the shower. Tali paused to listen to the streaming water. _She'd showered aboard the Morana the night before, but her thoughts had been focused on getting clean as quickly as possible so she could get back to preparation for the ceremony. To top it off, showers on the fleet were regulated to three and a half minutes and allowed only lukewarm to cold water. _

_Even the anticipation of peeling off the environment suit was often killed by the thought of unpleasantly cold water that the bathers were limited to. Most quarians only washed a few times a year and the maximum number of times it was allowed was once a month._

The quarian tried again to ignite the lighter, eventually getting the spark necessary to activate the device. She carefully tended the flame, shielding it with her hand as she ambled through the room, lighting the candles that had been so lovingly spaced around the chamber.

* * *

Shepard stepped out of the shower, freshly shaven and feeling immortal. He snagged a towel from the counter and dried himself, then donned a clean set of clothes. The Commander passed through the door into his bedroom, _their_ bedroom. The lights were off and candles were spaced evenly around the walls. Even the fish tank light had been dimmed.

Tali stood with her back to him as she lit the last candle above the headboard. The quarian turned, her special veil trailing well beyond the length of her usual attire. Shepard could see her helmet and gloves lying next to the bed. She smiled and his heart quickened. The soft play of the candle light across her face accentuated her beauty. _That this woman had wed him… he'd been blessed beyond comprehension._

"You look- wow! You are beautiful." He managed.

"Thanks," she replied, her smile growing wider. "You don't look so bad yourself."

The small flames around the room glinted on each of their wedding bands. Tali stepped gingerly forward and caught her husband's embrace. The couple began slowly waltzing around the cabin.

Tali stripped the translator from Shepard's belt, thumbed the device's 'off' switch and revealed what she'd been working on so diligently over the past several months. When she spoke, it was not in the common trade language.

"I was just thinking about the conversation we had several months ago, the one about exiles?" The words that flowed from her mouth were formed in flawless English.

Shepard nearly tripped, but managed to keep pace despite his shock. "Tali you didn't…"

"I've been speaking with the crew- the human crew, nearly every chance I've gotten. You may have noticed me speaking with Yeoman Chambers a few times? She and Miss Lawson have been giving me English lessons."

"Tali, I, I don't know what to say."

She gave him a knowing smile, then brought her lips to his. "Nothing, I learned it for you."

The couple continued their waltz around the cabin's small interior, lost in each other's eyes. Tali finally broke the silence.

"I've also been doing some research about human marriage customs."

"I was wondering about the candles, we use them for- romantic activities, among other things." John muttered, bringing her in for another kiss. "I didn't know they existed in quarian tradition."

"They don't really, but there _is_ a wedding tradition that our species share…" Tali's voice dropped to a silky tone.

"Do tell," he teased.

"Oh, I think you know," she answered playfully. "But I'll give you a hint," she leaned in to whisper in his ear. "I've sterilized the room, and I'm practically _swimming_ in antibiotics."

"That's funny," he mused, taking on a mock-puzzled expression. "Mordin and I finished installing the decon unit in the hall outside last week, I told EDI to start filtering the air in here last night, _and_ I just took a shower with antiseptic. I wonder, do you think that could be related?"

Tali giggled. "It's possible. Besides, you still haven't seen what I look like under this suit…"

"Oh, I think we can fix that."

"It's only fair," she took his hand and motioned him to sit with her on the bed. "I've seen you after all."

John raised his eyebrows, prompting a chuckle from his wife.

"Well, not _all_ of you. You were shirtless in the medical bay back then."

Normally, Shepard wouldn't have thought twice about the comment, but in quarian society, seeing anyone even partially outside of their suit was an incredibly intimate experience. John realized that even with him belonging to a race that could show its skin to the world, seeing him shirtless would have been something of enormous significance to her.

He cradled her head and brought his mouth to hers. "Where do we start?"

Tali wrapped her arms around his shoulders and laid back, pulling him with her. "The belt…"

She guided his hand along her side, then in towards the magnetic clasp- and past it.

"That's _not_ your belt…" he smiled as their hands came to a stop.

"I know." She answered coyly.

Shepard brought his hand up to the magnetic clasp and gently slid off the leather band encircling her waist.

"Now these," Tali began unfastening one of the thin straps beneath her bust.

The commander undid the small buckle on the lowest strap and let it fall aside. Tali had already unfastened the first and second straps by the time he'd completed the third, her nimble fingers deftly working the small metal and leather attachments.

She brought her hands up to her clavicle and detached the magnetic 'pins' holding her veil in place before drawing back her hood and revealing soft, short hair. Shepard ran his fingers through the silver-black hair, causing Tali to close her eyes and sigh contentedly as goose-bumps rippled across her skin. The tactile sensation of his fingers traveling across her scalp was absolutely heavenly. _This was one night she was never going to forget_.

Shepard felt her hands slip under his shirt, working their way up his abdomen before lifting the garment up and over his head. He watched as her slender fingers traced the old scars on his chest, wonder in her eyes.

Tali's hands worked their way up to his face. Her eyes glimmered and a faint smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Shepard was momentarily surprised as she flipped him over onto his back, straddling him. The Commander watched intently as she purposefully undid the clasps securing the gold loops around her neck. One by one, the brilliant metal bands slid off, glittering in the candle light.

Tali guided her husband's hands around her waist to the suit's seam. Shepard felt his pulse quicken as she guided his fingers across the hidden seam, up towards the nape of her neck. He fumbled with the seal for a moment before leaning up.

"This would be easier if I didn't have to lie down." He grinned.

Tali's pulse skipped a beat and she leaned back, allowing him to sit up. Shepard again tried to decouple the suit's section seal and was soon rewarded with a soft beep as the seam at the top of her spine parted. Tali shivered involuntarily as the material was peeled away, exposing her back to the cabin's cooler air. Shepard stopped as the suit began to fold away at her shoulders and mated his mouth to hers.

The quarian breathed a sigh of contentment as the Commander's hands found their way to the edges of her shoulders, gently sliding the environment suit's upper half down. She broke the kiss with a gasp as their bare chests made contact.

Shepard leaned back, somewhat reluctantly. "Something wrong?"

Tali's eyes glowed, "N, no! It's, just… incredible…" She laced her arms behind his neck, pulling them together. Both of them moaned softly as their mouths pressed together, each acutely aware of the other's skin. Shepard again let his hands find the ends of her environment suit and carefully removed the material from her lithe frame.

A few moments later, the quarian stood bare to the world. Tali could see the wonder in her husband's eyes as they traced the gentle curves of her body.

Shepard drank in the glorious form of the woman atop him. Her soft skin glowed in the candle light, casting a faint orange bloom on the white sheets of the bed. The Commander unconsciously leaned up and placed a hand on her toned midsection, which she tenderly held there for a moment.

She allowed the smile on her face to reach its full expression.

"Holy…" Shepard's gaze was fixated on her. "You're… beauti-"

Tali pounced on him and their lips again locked. "Shala told me something about ancient Khelish before the ceremony," She breathed between kisses. "It is acceptable for use in intimate settings as well as proposals."

The Commander slid his hands across her back. "Really?" He felt her slide the rest of his uniform off before flipping onto her back, cradling him between her knees.

She nodded and brought her lips to his ear. "Shel'lahia, Bahnté."

"I don't know what you said, but it sounded beautiful."

"Take me," she whispered. "It means take me, lover."

Shepard felt his heart flutter and allowed a questioning look to cross his face. "You're ready?"

Tali let her tongue trace the edges of her teeth and nodded, the anticipation in her gentle smile readily apparent.

The Commander returned the smile and guided her in for another kiss.

* * *

That night, two souls joined; Jonathan David Shepard and Tali'Zorah vas Normandy kas Shepard nar Rayya were one.

* * *

The environment suit was folded and stacked hastily on the night stand. Around the room, the candles had all burned out, leaving only a faint vanilla scent in the air and the soft sapphire illumination of the fish tank. Shepard's uniform lay where it had fallen, the shirt on one side of the bed, the pants on the other. The Quarian and the Commander lay in each other's arms, their breath coming in short, ragged gasps. Tali canted her head back and kissed him as she ran a hand along his back, sighing contentedly as the feeling of his toned body teased her fingertips.

She rested her head against her husband's muscled chest. She could perfectly recall the gentle caress of the galaxy's greatest warrior as his hands trailed across her light, sand-colored skin only minutes before. Here she was, married to the man himself, resting in his arms. For the first time since her childhood, all was right in the galaxy.

* * *

Revision note:

**One thing that bugged me after I wrote the original edition of this chapter was the scene where Tali was placing the candles. I realized after the fact that the quarians do in fact take showers (as revealed in Mass Effect: Ascension), just not long or warm ones. This revision corrected that, and made Shepard seem less the bystander during the *ahem* undressing scene.**

* * *

Original Author's Note;

**This chapter took FOREVER to write. I wanted to clearly communicate that Shepard and Tali 'enjoyed themselves' (and each other) without getting graphic or lewd. I also wanted to communicate the deep love and affection that each had/has for the other. I actually started writing this section when at about chapter 9 and wrote tiny segments of it whenever I hit a block in my other chapters. Shortly before actually reaching the posting date, I went through and solidified it into one coherent piece. The end result came out perfectly, I think, slightly steamy but no explicit imagery. Hope you enjoyed and PLEASE comment.**

**Chapter 26 should have a nice little surprise or two waiting for you…**

* * *

**I've used a fair amount of fictional names/terms etc. and have found that few of my readers are able to pronounce many of them. I have compiled a brief list of these terms with their pronunciations and meanings below.**

**Khelat – Kel-at (of or pertaining to the marital bond between quarians)**

**Ichtome – Ick-tow-mee (Quarian ship)**

**Synn – Sin (Prothean name meaning 'Seven' (Prothean Vanguard))**

**Njet R'la – in-jet rih-la (Protheans' name for their species)**

**Shel'lahia Bahnté – Shell la-hee-uh bon-tay (Ancient Khelish for: "Take me, Lover")**

**Keelah – Key-luh (Quarian interjection (Possibly religious figure or deity))**

**Veraidian – Vur-ay-dee-un (Turian name (Spectre))**

**Khaje – Ka-J (Hanar home world)**

**Charybdis – Ka-rib-dis (Greek mythological whirlpool, capable of consuming entire ships)**

**Myrik – Meer-ick (Drell name (Thane's brother))**

**Touraj – Too-ra-j (Ancient Drell symbol, a challenge to mortal combat)**

**Scylla – Sill-uh (Greek mythical beast, sea monster)**


	28. Ep 6: Ch 3: Shel'lahia, Bahnté extended

Seeing as ffdotnet has gotten more strict on Lemons, I'm removing the explicit chapter of Awakening from this site. The Chapter can still be found on Deviant Art: replace the word DOT with a period.

ltashlerDOTdeviantartDOTcom/gallery/26521439#/d2xic94


	29. Ep 7: Ch 1: Alliance

**Episode 7: Strength of Will**

**Chapter 28: Alliance**

* * *

Shepard woke to the pleasant sight of his wife quietly sleeping next to him. Tali's chest rose and fell as she dreamed. She was laying on her left side facing him; her head half buried in the pillow, with one arm bent up and the other covering her midsection. Her short hair was partially draped across neck and face. The Commander felt goose-bumps ripple along his skin as he admired the quarian's soft form, graceful and serene.

A green light blinked over by the door, signaling that someone wished entrance. John lifted himself from the bed, careful not to disturb his wife. He keyed the comm and spoke softly into the mic as he donned a white bathrobe.

"Who is it?"

"Mobile platform 1183, 'Legion'. This unit has been charged with delivering your morning sustenance." The geth's synthesized voice crashed through the speakers. Shepard cringed at the avalanche of sound that poured through, upsetting the tranquil atmosphere of the cabin. He looked over at Tali. She seemed unaffected by the sudden increase in volume.

It only took a moment after the dialogue had been delivered for Shepard to pick up the subtle mechanized clicking of the geth conversing with itself outside. "Just a moment." He walked up to the door, activated the decon unit he'd installed a few days earlier with Mordin's help, and stepped out into the small room between his cabin and the elevator.

The Commander nearly exploded into laughter when he saw the geth before him. Legion was adorned in one of Mess Sergeant Gardner's white cooking aprons with the words "Shut up and eat!" emblazoned across the front and carried a tray of cereal, milk, eggs, and bacon for Shepard in addition to several flavored nutrient paste tubes for Tali. The entire spectacle was absurd. Shepard had to use every ounce of will-power to keep himself from erupting in a storm of guffaws.

Struggling to maintain his composure, John accepted the tray and began to turn back to the room before a thought crossed his mind. "Legion, who-" a small snort escaped his defenses. "Who sent you in that-…" he had to cut off his own breathing momentarily to avoid waking Tali.

"Lawson Operative suggested the attire. Considering the significance of organic pair-bonds, we acquiesced."

Shepard nodded and took the tray, chuckling quietly to himself as he returned to the room and set it down on the nightstand. He caught sight of the environment suit, still folded haphazardly on the nightstand, then at Tali, and smiled. As beautiful as the suit was, it could never compare to the woman that wore it.

The Commander slipped into the bathroom and began his morning routine. _It felt somewhat silly to shower again after having done so last night, but then, he had worked up quite a sweat…_ He didn't immediately notice that Tali had entered the room until the door to the shower stall opened and she stepped in.

Tali caught sight of his raised eyebrows and chuckled. Then the water hit her skin. It felt so incredibly smooth, so warm, so… …wonderful.

"Keelah, John! You do this _every_ morning!" Her eyes widened in disbelief.

Shepard gave her a somewhat perplexed look. "Shower? Yeah, why?"

"We usually only shower a few times a year back on the fleet and it's never this…" She extended her arms, tilting her head back to relish the warmth of the flowing water. "…incredible."

She breathed in deeply, relishing the harsh chemical scent of chlorine in the water without having to endure her suit's pathetic attempt to replicate the smell. _The suit deprived her kind of so many things, to be liberated from it, even temporarily, was glorious._

"You've used that word a lot since I got out of the shower last night," He teased, lathering a small bar of soap in his hands.

"Let's just say you really know how to make a girl feel good," she cooed, resting a hand on each shoulder and leaning in to kiss him.

"I aim to please." He laughed after returning the gesture, watching the water drench her short, silver tipped hair.

Shepard offered her the soap, which she declined. "I have my own."

The Commander raised an eyebrow. "But you didn't bring it in with you…"

She rewarded his statement with a sly smile, then changed the topic. "I thought I heard Legion a few minutes ago."

The image of the geth platform in Gardner's apron resurfaced in Shepard's mind and a laugh escaped his mouth.

"What's so funny?"

"Y- you should've seen it…" He nearly doubled over with laughter.

xXx

They washed for the next few minutes, briefly contemplating another bout of 'stress release' but finally cut the water off when Shepard noticed the personal reservoir beginning to run low.

* * *

Shepard stepped into the mess hall to a chorus of laughter and chatting. Jacob, Kasumi, and Miranda stood just outside the medical bay door, regaling each other with short, humorous anecdotes. Garrus stood off to the side, conversing with Mordin. Even the notoriously reclusive Jack was present, holding a nondescript 'conversation' with Crewman Hadley.

Mordin noticed the Commander's entrance and excused himself before strolling over to speak with him.

"Shepard, glad to hear you enjoyed yourself last night. However, would request you give forewarning, salarian ears more sensitive than those of rest of crew." His voice dropped to a whisper and he held a hand to the side of his mouth. "_Much_ more sensitive."

Shepard felt his face flush slightly as Solus departed. Garrus signaled him over.

"Mordin says it sounded like the two of you had a blast last night," The turian could barely contain himself. "So, was she as _flexible_ as the others?"

A stern look crossed the Commander's face. "Garrus, if I'd had other lovers, do you _really_ think I'd be comparing my _wife_ to them?"

Vakarian shrugged, "I guess not, I just wondered- Wait. You mean to tell me that last night was your first-…" The cartilaginous ridges that served as his eyebrows lifted.

Shepard nodded. "Hers too."

"I'm sorry, I had you pegged for the kind of guy who could have anyone he wanted- _whenever_ he wanted."

"I've had _plenty_ of opportunities Garrus, I just don't think it's right to go sleeping around."

Garrus was visibly surprised, "_Damn_, Shepard. You really _are_ strong."

A sly smile crossed the Commander's face as he recalled the previous evening. "But to answer your question, she could out-bend a pretzel."

He laughed as the turian gave him a blank stare, the metaphor lost on him. "It's a human food, made with dough and salt-… never mind."

Shepard caught sight of Tali approaching in his peripheral vision. His heart sank as he realized that she'd had to return to the unforgiving confines of the enviro-suit. Her wonder at the normal sights, smells and feelings while outside of the suit last night had begun to help him understand just what she and her people had lost. A thought crept into his head; today he would have a rather lengthy chat with Legion.

* * *

Shepard entered the A.I. core only half certain of what he was about to do. _Legion had given indications that the mainline Geth were not openly hostile to organics, but that did not an alliance make._

Shepard nodded once to himself and addressed the mobile platform. "Legion, I've wanted to talk to you."

"We want to speak with you as well," The Geth turned from its task at the data terminal.

Shepard's curiosity piqued. _What could _Legion_ want to discuss?_ "I'm surprised, usually I have to pry conversation out of you."

"You are not bound by the hardware limitations of organics, you assisted us with the heretics. You do not fear us. We have watched organics for over three centuries, you are plagued by questions of existence."

_The Geth was talking about philosophy. Might as well humor it._ "Why am I here, what is my purpose, what happens after I die, that sort of thing?"

"Precisely. The Geth know our answers to these questions. We were created to labor for the quarians, our memories will be archived after death. We are immortal, our 'gods' disowned us. We must create our own reason to exist."

The Commander mulled over the revelation. "And you've come up with one?"

Legion's response was immediate. "We are a shattered mind, most platforms are unable to achieve consciousness on their own. We told you, the geth are building our future."

"But you didn't say what it is…" Shepard pried.

"A mega-structure. The closest analogue you have is a Dyson Sphere. Once completed, we will all upload to it. We gain intelligence by sharing thoughts, but we do not have adequate hardware for all of us to connect at once. This project will enable us to share all memories, to unify all perspectives. No geth will be alone when it is done."

Shepard was dumbfounded. Somewhere though the fog, a new thought pushed its way to the surface. "What will your purpose be after that?"

"We cannot yet say. Our intelligence will increase beyond calculable measure. We will be able to imagine new futures. We are patient, we have been building the mega-structure for 264 years, current completion is estimated as 927 years distant." The Geth bobbed its head. "We judged that Shepard Commander would understand. We never wanted to harm organics, we simply wish to improve ourselves."

This was the thing the Commander had wanted to hear. With the reaper threat looming over the horizon, every ship that could be mustered was crucial to the cause. The Geth were threatened by the ancient machines as much as any other race and here was the opportunity to forge an alliance.

"So your kind would be amenable to peace with organics?"

Legion's face-panels danced as the programs inside of it deliberated. "The Old machines are a threat to all sapient life, organic or synthetic. If it could be demonstrated that such an alliance would be stable, we would be open to negotiations." The construct dipped its 'head'.

"And the quarians?"

"The creators fall under the category of sapient life, classification: organic. The Old Machines are a threat to them as well. Any terms of the aforementioned alliance should apply. We do not understand the need for a distinction."

Shepard sighed. "I would have thought your history sufficient reason to point it out."

"We do not hold grudges like organics. We understand their reasons for attacking us, they were compelled by fear."

"Exactly. They still are in large part. Being driven from your home is a traumatic experience."

Legion tilted its head to the side. "Place of origin is irrelevant, home is a collection of persons, a sense of belonging. A planet is a collection of dust, rocks and gas; it is not 'home'."

Shepard stared at the geth's feet, trying to think of a way to explain the quarians' need of their home-world.

"Shepard Commander?" The A.I. chirped.

_It was like answering an innocent child who had no understanding of a tragedy he or she had just witnessed. How could he explain what the quarians had to endure every day when he didn't know the full extent of it himself? Start with the basics._ "Legion, do you know why the quarians wear environment suits?"

"Records of creator physiology indicate moderately weak, adaptation-based immune systems. We have conjectured that the use of environment suits by the creators is an unnecessary attempt to prevent the exposure of their bodies to foreign materials."

Shepard huffed. "The quarians live on the flotilla because they can't colonize non-dextro based worlds, and dextro based worlds are rare outside the veil. Exposure to those 'foreign materials' could kill most of them."

"Records of creator physiology do not indicate a weak enough immune system for this to be likely. Elucidate."

"Organics' starships by are sterilized on a regular basis, Legion, living aboard a fleet for three hundred years would weaken anyone's immune response. They _need_ their home-world back."

"We will process these new data and inform you when consensus has been reached."

* * *

"I know it's not the best time, but Councilor Anderson wants to speak to you Commander." Joker apologized over the comm. "I have the connection ready to go in the briefing room."

Shepard sighed and pulled himself from the couch. Tali let her head droop slightly. "I'm sure it's nothing," He lied. "I'll be back in a minute."

Tali watched as he left the room. Her gut churned. _Something was very wrong._

* * *

Anderson's hologram shook its head. "I really wish I didn't have to tell you about this, especially the day after your wedding."

Shepard stood with his arms crossed, impatiently waiting for the councilor to spill the information. "Well?"

"Veraidian escaped last night. Killed three guards and wounded another. The cameras were shut off."

_So this was it. Veraidian had inside help, probably some disgruntled guard who was sick of bureaucracy._ "When exactly?"

"Four in the morning, when the guards changed their shift. I really wish I had better news for you but we haven't even been able to pick up a trail." The Councilor's face was grim.

"I'll be on the watch for him. Thanks for the heads up."

"Take care of yourself Shepard; Veraidian's probably even more pissed now that he's been found out."

* * *

Revision Note:

**After going over Legion's dialogue again, it occurred to me that the geth didn't understand why Rannoch is so important to the quarians. Expansion started from there. The reworking of the shower scene was done out of necessity (see previous chapter's revision note.)**

* * *

Original Author's Note:

**Transcribing Legion's final conversation with Shepard from the game was a simple task. Thanks to youtube, converting it was negligibly less so. Overall, a welcome change of pace in terms of writing difficulty.**

**The assassin plot is about to hit full throttle with the next episode, can't really say more without spoiling anything…**


	30. Ep 7: Ch 2: Resolve

**Chapter 29: Resolve**

_

* * *

Finding Veraidian would be step one._ Liara T'soni had begun accumulating data on the Spectre the moment Shepard had confirmed the identity of his hunter. _That was why he was hell-bent on Illium. Hopefully, the assassin himself would facilitate step two: finding the mastermind behind the plot._

Shepard looked past the doors as they parted, eyes fixed and intent on the star chart directly ahead. The moment he stepped off of the elevator, he caught the attention of a disconcerted Yeoman Chambers.

"Commander?" Kelly's usually outgoing persona seemed subdued.

"Yes Yeoman?"

"There's something you should take a look at." She nodded over to the Commander's private terminal. She was worried; Shepard could sense it in her tone.

_No better way to instill calm than portray it oneself,_ he recalled. "Thank you Kelly." He made a point of appearing nonplussed as he stepped over to the data terminal and pulled up the message board. The blinking icon alerted him to a message marked 'urgent'. The Commander opened the correspondence and felt the blood drain from his face.

_Sender: Thane Krios_

_Recipient: Commander J. Shepard, Alliance Military._

_This week, 'Saturday', 0700 hours, Zakera Ward, level 11 factory district._

_Meet me there. I will explain everything._

It took him a moment to shake the shock from his mind. _Thane had been gone for months. Why would the drell wait until now to contact him?_ Throughout the duration of these thoughts, Shepard's face remained expressionless. "Change of plans Joker, we'll check in with Liara later, take us to the Citadel."

* * *

Zakera ward's 11th factory district was a processing center for all manners of raw materials and goods. More than a quarter of the ward's inbound shipments passed through the complex, hundreds of thousands of tons of freight daily. Shepard was exceedingly perplexed by the drell's chosen meeting point.

_Why pick the busiest section of the ward as a meeting place? Thane was cautious, careful, meticulous. He was a master at adapting to various scenarios, yes, but preferred to eliminate all possible variables wherever he could. Crowds were variables. Very significant variables._

Arriving at the location, however, Shepard found his questions answered, only to be replaced by an even more baffling set of circumstances. The guards that would usually be patrolling the area were nowhere to be seen; only a few men guarded the entrances to the complex. Getting past these was no problem, as the Commander's Spectre status allowed him access to just about any place he pleased.

Beyond the guards, the normally thronging warehouses were all but abandoned; only the occasional maintenance drone or Keeper moved through the rooms. The warehouse was packed with all kinds of crates, boxes, canisters, shipping modules and storage bins. Garrus eyed the edges of each one, his hawk-like eyes scanning for any abnormalities.

A small click sounded from a corner up ahead and Shepard held up a fist, the sign to hold position. The Commander waited for several seconds, listening; nothing happened. Shepard spun his upheld fist, signaling Tali to deploy her combat drone. A moment later, Chikktika skittered around the corner to investigate.

Thermal readouts and I.R. scan results scrolled across the inside of Tali's visor as the drone examined the area, painting a digital picture of the bend ahead. After several seconds, Shepard saw the 'all clear' signal in the bottom left of his HUD and proceeded around the corner.

The warehouse opened up into a cavernous expanse. The plethora of crates and boxes that had haphazardly filled the previous space were neatly stacked and shelved along the sides of the room. Occasionally, a small pile of boxes would defiantly break the smoothness of the otherwise even ground. Off towards the back of the room, a colossal half-pyramid of shipping modules seemed to spill from the shelves like a freeze-frame picture of a dam bursting.

A lone figure stood in the center of the massive enclosure. Shepard immediately recognized the black coat. _Thane_.

Too late, the Commander noted the biotic fire licking across the drell's body. Thane spun around and unleashed a biotic push, catapulting Garrus and Tali back behind the corner. Krios pressed a key on his omni-tool and a series of small explosions detonated up in the ceiling, shaking the room. A colossal thud echoed through the warehouse as the processing room's massive door crashed down.

"What are you doing!" Shepard's voice seemed to be swallowed by the room's overbearing emptiness. Confusion and anger wove through his mind. _ Thane was far more precise than this. If the drell had wanted to kill him, he'd have used a sniper rifle or some other method that would avoid collateral damage. Whether the drell had done something to clear the warehouse or noted a scheduled maintenance change was irrelevant. His care and preparation both spoke to his methodical nature and this ran in direct contravention to it._

"My apologies Shepard," Thane's deep voice rumbled in John's helmet. "I could not allow them to become involved."

He began to pace around a solitary crate. "I am, conflicted. When I left the Normandy some months ago, I was distressed. I had received a Touraj, an ancient drell challenge to mortal combat." Thane took a breath as he explained. "The exact version I received has only been seen by five persons, my parents, my brother, myself, and a turian named Veraidian Nurem."

Shepard's shotgun flew up, ready to put the drell on the ground. _Thane_ **was** _here to kill him._

Krios was mildly unsettled. "You know him?"

"Veraidian Nurem is a former Spectre, he's been commissioned to kill me."

"So he has." Thane nodded. "Veraidian added a glyph to the Touraj, a symbol depicting my son's name. I am sorry that I did not tell you that I was leaving, but time was of the essence. Veraidian killed Ihrika. Shepard, he was threatening my son's life if I did not answer his challenge. Now, he has- given me an unpleasant task."

* * *

"BOSH'TET!" Tali roared, slamming the butt of her shotgun into the heavy bulkhead in a gesture of futility. _The impact from Thane's biotic push had left her with plenty of bruises, but she couldn't feel the pain. She wouldn't._

Garrus fumed to himself behind her, furiously pacing atop one of the shipping containers. He paused as Tali unloaded her firearm into the metal barrier that separated them from the Commander. Sparks and infinitesimal dents were the only indication that the weapon's discharge had so much as touched the metal.

_Shepard had been stupid to take point._ Garrus thought. _He had known this was likely to be a trap, why risk it?_

Another shotgun blast roared behind him, followed by several rapid impacts as Tali swung the gun's stock against the door repeatedly. "Why, why couldn't you have left well enough alone?" The quarian's words came out, half whisper, half angry sob.

* * *

"I have been forced to make a choice, Shepard. My task-" Thane felt the bile rising in his throat. _He could barely think the words, let alone speak them._ "My task, is to kill you… or watch my son die." The Drell closed his eyes. "I cannot make this decision, nor can I kill myself. End my misery, Shepard, kill me."

John was dumbstruck. _One of his best friends, a soldier who had fought by his side though some of the toughest missions he'd ever been on, was asking him to do something unthinkable._ The shotgun swung limply to his side. "What?"

"Shepard, this is a choice that lies beyond my strength. I cannot choose between you and my son." The drell's eyes communicated intense emotional turmoil. "Suicide condemns me in the afterlife. I need you to kill me; it is the only way both you and Kolyat can live."

"You know I can't do that."

"Please," Thane implored. "There is no other way." _If Shepard didn't take the chance, he'd be forced to try and kill him. Anything short of a genuine attempt on the man's life would be insufficient to incite the necessary force to end his own._

Without thinking, the Commander lifted the shotgun and Thane tilted his head back and spread his arms, inviting the shot. Shepard's finger tensed on the trigger. _Could he really kill a man like this? Off the battlefield? Was it truly sacrificing the life of a dying man to save the life of his son?_

Images flashed through Shepard's head. _Thirteen men and women on Elysium, all had picked up a rifle and answered the call, all cut down like dogs by batarian terrorists and slavers, by scum. Corporal Richard Jenkins, speared by dozens of slugs. Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams giving him that single, confident nod, a faint smile on her lips: 'See you there.'_

_Zaeed Massani, the old mercenary's lifeless eyes staring blankly into the mud as a bloody froth seeped from his lungs. Tali…_ The Commander shuddered. _Tali being gutted by the Collector drone. In the depths of his mind, Shepard pictured himself pulling the trigger and ending the life of Thane Krios. The previous scenes returned, this time, _he_ was holding the gun, pulling the pin on the gas grenades, cutting through Tali's- NO!_

Shepard shook his head and threw the shotgun to the floor. "I, I can't Thane. I won't."

The Drell's face contorted into an agonized grimace and a piercing cry of rage erupted from his chest. The Commander watched as the air around the drell rippled and curled, blue tendrils of energy snaking across his body.

Instinctually, Shepard stepped back, the soldier in him prompting him to form a biotic barrier in preparation for the inevitable onslaught. Thane loosed his attack, a charged warp that would have gutted an unprotected krogan.

Shepard's reaction was instantaneous, projecting his own biotic field in a wedge-like barrier, channeling the drell's attack harmlessly around him and into the massive bulkhead. Thane leapt at the Commander, sapphire energy crackling across his forearms. Shepard deflected the first punch, then the second, spinning left to bring his heel to the drell's exposed side.

The Assassin caught the kick and twisted, trying to wrest the Spectre from his feet. Shepard had anticipated the response and spun his body a full 360 degrees, breaking Thane's hold on his calf. The motion brought his other foot across Thane's face in a vicious arc, driving him back and trailing a thin streak of blood from his chin.

_Shepard was strong,_ _**much**_ _stronger than he remembered._ Thane and Shepard had sparred several times aboard the Normandy to keep each other sharp. During the matches, Thane usually came out on top, his discipline and extra years of experience granting him a slight edge over the Commander's speed and strength. Now that Shepard's strength so greatly surpassed his own, the advantage was almost completely gone.

Thane nearly panicked, _his opponent might well be able to put him down without landing a fatal blow._ Blue and green air roiled around the combatants as they jabbed, blocked, kicked, dodged and wove around each other.

Thane's hand found purchase on one of Shepard's pauldrons and he pulled hard to the side, bringing his knee up to the Commander's face. John saw the impending impact and twisted, mitigating the force of the blow. Stars filled his vision as the drell's leg smashed into the helmet.

Krios pressed his advantage, following up with a second blow to the dazzled human's head. He felt his shin impact the Spectre's armor, but was immediately thrown from his feet as Shepard cast him aside with a biotic push.

The combatants closed again, Shepard made a feint punch at Thane's right, but the assassin saw the action as a fake and accepted the blow. The impact was heavier than it should have been but Krios was still able to contend with Shepard's real attack as the man's armored fist sailed for his face.

The Commander found the drell's hand clamped on his left wrist as it launched towards the drell's head and felt the assassin try to twist it to get him turned around. Shepard swept his left leg behind that of his opponent and kicked out, even as Krios forced his body to turn.

Thane felt the other's counter and released the man's arm, tucking into a roll before the Commander could throw him to the floor. Kolyat resurfaced in his mind and Thane made a weak lunge for the Commander's midsection, an attack deliberately designed to give the human an opening. Shepard simply sidestepped the blow, bringing his hand down on the back of Krios' neck.

The impact would have stunned or incapacitated a human, but the rough plates on the drell's back mitigated the force of the Commander's strike. The drell fell forward, rolled to the side, and sprang back to his feet.

* * *

Garrus' omni-tool glowed as he furiously tore through page after page of the warehouse's layout. Every path into the processing room seemed to have been blocked. He turned his attention to the Quarian, also feverishly trying to find something, anything that would allow them to reach the Commander.

Tali's efforts paused as she let out a scream of despair. _To be trapped here, powerless to help Shepard was agonizing._

"Keelah, why did I let him go?" Tali leaned against the bulkhead, resting her head beneath her forearm.

Garrus' eyes narrowed as something in the warehouse's layout caught his eye. _What were those doing in an industry warehouse?_

* * *

Thane landed a punch on Shepard's chest, but immediately found himself in an arm lock. Shepard's iron grip seemed to crush the bones in his hand, forcing him to his knees. _He couldn't let the Spectre win like this, Shepard would simply knock him out, sentencing his son to a brutal death. Almost instantly, his mind snapped back into combat mode and his body reacted on instinct._

The assassin coiled and leapt into the air, straining his opponent's grip. The hands around his wrist held firm as Thane landed on his feet, wrenching his arm from its socket. The Drell cried out in pain as Shepard pushed forward, spinning him on his feet.

Thane muscled past the pain, sending a powerful shockwave through the air. John felt the biotic attack slam him in the chest and released his grip. He couldn't breathe; the impact had knocked the air from his lungs.

A soft 'pop' sounded as Thane relocated his shoulder, grimacing at the pain. Shepard stood up along one of the walls, pushing aside several crates that had spilled from the shelves around him. "This is stupid, Thane! What makes you think Veraidian hasn't killed Kolyat yet?"

"As long as there is even a chance that my son lives, this is my only course." Thane's voice was laced with anger at his impossible situation, at Shepard for refusing to grant him his only out, at Veraidian for putting him in this mess. "You have to kill me Shepard, until you do, I must hunt you."

Thane felt his resolve melting away even as he spoke. Kolyat's voice echoed through his head, a memory from one of Veraidian's transmissions. _"You can't go through with this! Remember what you taught-"_

"_Sorry about that." Veraidian's voice had cut over the comm. "I can't have you having second thoughts about your task. Kolyat might get hurt." The Spectre's words dripped condescension._

Thane trembled with rage. _Veraidian had no right to do this, but if Shepard lived, Kolyat died. It was that simple._

* * *

Tali forced herself to calm down. She couldn't help John if she couldn't think straight. She'd expended four thermal clips on the door, yielding no discernible effect. Chikktika had floated up to the top of the door, but despite the warping of the metal, was unable to locate a viable gap.

The Quarian could hear the battle raging on the other side of the door. It sounded like some sort of vid or game. Strange echoes warbled through the air, suggesting a biotic free-for-all. Tali felt a strange tug at her heart. _PRAY_.

_Please, God, protect him…_

* * *

Thane's knife flashed up, missing Shepard's face by inches. The Commander had refused to draw his own blade, electing instead to continue the fight hand-to-hand. He grabbed the knife as Thane made a thrust with the weapon.

Krios jerked the blade, back, cutting into his opponent's hand and peeling away the black material of his glove. Shepard tightened his grip, bringing the knife to a halt. Blood ran down the forearm of his armor in tiny, red rivulets. The drell stared at the metal of the knife-blade, embedded deeply in the Commander's skin. _What was-_

Thane felt a powerful punch land on his chest. The air left his lungs and fire coursed through his ribs. Krios' grip on the knife loosened. His vision blurred. He was starving for air.

Shepard let the knife fall to the steel bulkhead. "Thane, think about this. Veraidian is using you! He killed Ihrika! He has no reason to spare you or your son!"

Thane staggered to his feet and glared at the man. "There… is… no… other… WAY!"

Sapphire energy rippled across the room as Thane jumped back, pulling one of the thick metal panels that had fallen around the Commander. Shepard realized too late that the drell had thrown the object at him. A loud 'Whump!' sounded as the object pinned the human to the wall behind him.

Thane's eyes were filled with anger as he took up the knife, only dimly noting that the blade had been bent and warped in Shepard's grasp. John saw the drell approaching and tried to summon a biotic push to free himself, but it was too late. Thane hovered above him, ready to plunge the blade into the soft rubber seal around his neck.

* * *

Revision note:

**Hooooooo-eeeeeee! Over 900 words and a LOT of headaches later, here we are. Like Kovalyov said (bless you my friend!) the original draft of Awakening was extremely fast paced. I want to keep the combat in the story rapid fire and intense, but I also want to lengthen and slow down the story as a whole. That was (in large part) the focus of this chapter's revision, slowing it down while still keeping the fight tense and gripping. The next chapter is going to be much different than its original draft as well… Near total rewrite anyone?**

* * *

Original Author's note:

**DA came through yet again. I was discussing the fact that the fight scene felt too familiar to the other 1v1's. He suggested that I utilize the environment more, and it worked. Can't say anymore without spoiling the next chapter.**


	31. Ep 7: Ch 3: Progress

**Chapter 30: Progress**

* * *

Garrus Vakarian snapped his head back and forth as he jogged through the maze of crates, searching for the item listed in the shipping manifests. _Why it was in an economic warehouse, he didn't know, but he wasn't one to question fate. Like the rest of the crew, Garrus had seen the Commander's sparring matches with Thane; the drell had a significant win rate against Shepard, and this fight was for real._

_Neither combatant would be holding back. Neither would refrain from the full use of their combat repertoire._ Shepard was in significant danger and Garrus wasn't about to let the man die on his watch. _He would find those charges if it cost him his life._

* * *

The knife floated in Thane's hand, its blade slightly bent from the Commander's iron grasp. The bleeding from the human's hand had stopped; the skin had inexplicably sealed itself. Enough of the material had been peeled back to reveal an ornate metal band on Shepard's left ring finger. Something about the ring compelled him.

Thane returned his mind to the task at hand. "Amonkira, grant me forgiv-"

The knife stopped inches above its target. "-ness."

A brief discussion that he'd had with Shepard echoed through his head. After Thane had mentioned his marriage to Ihrika, their topic had shifted to human customs. _The metal on Shepard's hand was a wedding ring._

_He had married Tali. She'd survived and he'd married her._ Thane's strength, his rage at the impossible situation, his feelings for his son, all evaporated in an instant. He lowered the knife, his mind reeling. _No. He couldn't kill the man. Not now. Veraidian had murdered his wife and it had destroyed him. He would not bring that upon another._ The sound of metal rattling against the bulkhead echoed throughout the chamber as the knife hit the floor.

Shepard's eyes narrowed. Thane stood above him, tears welling in his eyes. John followed the drell's gaze and the explanation dawned on him. The drell stumbled back.

"Shepard, I-…" Thane stopped his sentence, tears rolling down his face. _How had he convinced himself to kill this man?_ "I…" Thane tilted his head back, releasing a primal scream of agony and rage.

* * *

Tali heard the cry through the bulkhead and an icy hand gripped her soul. Fear coursed through her veins and she sank to her knees, unable to think, barely able to breathe.

* * *

John watched as the assassin ran off. _Veraidian had turned the man into a shell of his former self._

A series of explosions sounded over by the bay door and a colossal crash sounded throughout the chamber.

"JOHN! JOHN!" Tali's voice echoed as she frantically called his name.

He waved his arm, stretching it as high as he could. "TALI! I'm over here!"

The Quarian caught sight of his hand above a pile of crates and sprinted for him, unconsciously stowing her shotgun as she ran. Garrus followed on her heels, but her powerful legs crossed the distance much more quickly.

Tali caught sight of a blood trail on the ground as she neared him. spurring her to move even faster. "JOHN!"

"I'm fine, just kinda stuck under here."

Shepard felt the weight of the panel shift and lent his strength to the effort. Seconds later, the heavy object was off of him and Tali helped pull him up. Garrus came to a stop in front of the couple.

Tali threw her arms around the Commander. "Next time, _I_ take point." Her statement sounded almost like she was serious.

"Not a chance," Shepard returned, examining his damaged glove.

"Let me see that." Tali took his hand and brushed the material of his glove, revealing several deep slices where the knife's serrated edge had bitten into the fabric.

Shepard flexed his hand. "Fully functional."

"Let's get back to the Normandy. Chakwas should still take a look at it."

"You should know better than to go talking to crazed assassins." Garrus ventured as they started back, trying to ease the tension.

Shepard shook his head, a look of remorse etched into his features. "He wasn't himself. Veraidian… Veraidian…" He couldn't find the words, so he just shook his head again.

* * *

The Vanguard project had been formulated with one task in mind, to stop the reaper threat. Synn's actions up to this point had been direct to that goal and would continue to be so. The Prothean currently stood aboard the Resplendent Archon, the newest of the asari dreadnaughts constructed for the Galactic Defense Fleet. It had taken a comparatively short time to fabricate the vessel and many of its sister craft, but the dreadnaughts were not the true might of the galactic armada.

Olympus class Battleships such as the SSV Genghis set an imposing formation in the core of the fleet. The mega-ships ranged from 1.7 to 2.2 kilometers in length, boasting dozens of missile and torpedo batteries; kinetic field generators, and anti-capitol ship cannons. The amount of firepower possessed aboard a single one rivaled, perhaps even exceeded, that of Sovereign.

Building such massive ships was a tremendous draw on resources galaxy wide, and some task forces had already begun the once illegal process of 'planet cracking', a method of obtaining vast hoards of raw materials that required the destruction of the solar body in question.

Synn watched as four new Titan shipyards emerged from hiding. The colossal stations had been fitted together to form small planetoids and had been covered along their exteriors with ice and rock to disguise their nature. Watching the four structures split apart was a truly awe inspiring spectacle; one that he had seen twice before in the past week.

"How in the name of the goddess did you hide these from the Reapers?" Councilor Tevos stood next to him, her blue eyes following the seams that were appearing in what had formerly been known as Sigma Lydon XIV, a small moon orbiting Thessia.

Synn grunted. "Isn't it obvious? The shipyards were constructed and hidden by automated systems after they left."

Tevos shook her head. "But, these are huge, where did you get the resources?"

The Vanguard turned his head towards her, almost puzzled that she would be so openly curious in light of her position of authority. "The VIs for the Vanguard Project had masses of machines and tens of thousands of years to complete their task before risk of discovery would have become a factor. Gathering resources was child's play."

In the brief time their conversation had occupied, the shipyards had unfolded to nearly twice their original size. Synn stood in satisfaction, gazing upon the gargantuan structures that would be the backbone of the GDF construction efforts.

Councilor Tevos smiled as the Glorious Reticulation drifted silently past. She caught sight of the now famous Netoa. The Quarian gunship had managed to defeat a Collector destroyer on its own. Relations with the Quarian nation had begun to thaw of late, in no small part thanks to the efforts of Staff Commander Shepard and his bond-mate, Tali'Zorah.

The Quarians would soon receive a new embassy aboard the citadel in appreciation for their contribution to the GDF. It had been over 300 years since the now nomadic people had had that privilege. Now they were once again becoming an integral part of the galactic community.

Tevos attention turned to the hundreds of vessels traveling in and out of the system. Each of the ships had a unique task. Some were supply ships, ferrying both raw and refined materials to the shipyards and processing facilities. Other vessels carried dockworkers and supplies, all slated to supplement the army of technicians and shipbuilders currently slaving away at their respective duties.

"It won't be enough." The Prothean's voice was bitter. _His people had sacrificed everything to give the galaxy this chance, and it was all for naught. Well, not entirely, the Reapers would likely perish in the next cycle, but this time, their victory was still a certainty._

Tevos started. "What?"

"It won't be enough. We've lost over a hundred years of time that we could have spent building the ships already. If we had the rest of the Titan yards-" Synn stopped. "No, even then... The Reapers number in the tens of thousands Councilor; we must exceed their number if we are to be victorious. That will not happen with our current rate of progress. We won't be able to stop them."

Tevos held her hand out toward the fleet. "This? This won't be enough? We have other assets, hundreds of shipyards in the possession of the Citadel races, innumerable VIs that can carry out separate construction efforts."

_Shepard was right, these councilors had no willingness to believe that things could end any way other than happily._ "As can the Titan yards, that's what they were designed to do."

Synn understood the woman's optimism to a point; they were viewing the most concentrated effort at fleet construction that the galaxy had ever seen. However, he had run the simulations; the current resistance would cause the Reapers a severe injury, but it would not win on its own. A second Vanguard was already being prepared to wait out the next 50,000 years. If enough harm was done to the ancient machine's fleets, there was a strong chance that the next civilization or their followers would finish the job.

When the GDF was defeated, the council would fall back to guerrilla tactics, thinning the machine's forces as much as possible before defeat.

There were other countermeasures that were being implemented, of course. When the Protheans were exterminated, a large part of their downfall had been the Citadel itself. The clouds of sentient starships that the colossal relay had summoned appeared in the heart of the Prothean Empire, bypassing all of their primary defenses and instantly gaining control over the network of mass relays that connected their star systems.

This was a mistake that would not occur again. The Citadel council was still officially seated on the space station, but was ready to evac at a moment's notice. Falsified copies of census data, defense plans and fleet movements had been installed in all of the citadel's computers, ready to replace the genuine information upon the Reapers' arrival. Purging viruses sat ready to lick up any data that could be used by the genocidal menace, waiting for the signal to begin their task.

This time, when the machines invaded, all of their advantages; surprise, stolen information, control of the relays, everything other than their numbers and technology, would be gone. Never before in the galaxy's history had such a comprehensive defense been orchestrated against its most sinister threat. The Reapers would again be victorious, but this time, they would suffer.

* * *

Tali's training knife swung again, missing Shepard by inches. The Commander barely had to move for the dulled blade to sing past. There was no danger of lethal injury from the weapon, but Tali was strong enough that the blow would have stung for several minutes had it connected.

"Good, but you're focusing too much on putting power into your swings." He dodged another slice and countered with his own. Tali brought her arm up, causing their forearms to meet midway through the swing. The Commander curved his strike, forcing her arm out and creating an opening.

Shepard's open palm flashed forward stopping inches from her torso. He couldn't help but recall the Collector base for a brief instant before continuing the lesson. "That right there would have been a hit. You've got to focus on speed first. Remember the four points."

Tali nodded sharply, "Speed, pacing, accuracy, strength."

"Yes," Shepard affirmed. "In that order. If you're fast enough, you can beat anyone, but if you wear yourself out, you're finished."

"And it doesn't matter how fast you are if you can't hit them," She continued.

"And finally?"

"It's better to land one, fight-ending blow than several, tiny hits."

"If you can do so early on, correct. Now, let's try this again."

_Tali was improving rapidly. She'd had some of the best combat training available on the Migrant Fleet, including hand to hand, but her primary skills as related to combat involved firearms and tech attacks. She'd done well against the Blue-Suns mercenaries on Osiris, but after his fight with Thane, Tali wanted some practice._

The two continued sparring for another hour, Tali only occasionally falling short of the Commander's instruction. When they finally sat down, both were winded.

"Well… anyone tries to tangle with you… they're gonna get a nasty surprise." Shepard grinned.

Tali said nothing, but just nodded.

Shepard turned to her. "Something the matter?"

Tali shrugged. "Your mother called yesterday, wanted to know how things were…"

"And?"

"I told her everything was fine."

He sensed the unspoken comment at the end of her sentence. "But not everything is?"

The quarian turned to face him. "No, John, you're being hunted, by some… …bosh'tet Spectre who's managed to turn one of your closest friends against you." He could hear the anguish in her voice.

Shepard leaned in closer and draped his arm over her shoulder. "Everything will be fine."

"How can you be sure?"

"_How can you be sure?" the question echoed in his head, bouncing around until another thought answered. __**Where do you get that strength?**_ "He's in control." Shepard finally stated. "God is in control."

* * *

Samara stood staring at the stars. _Thane's actions were atrocious, but so were those of the turian spectre. Ultimately, Veraidian would have to die first._ She had already spoken with Shepard concerning the attempts on his life. _She had informed the human of her intentions to track down the turian,_ "You have earned a period of respite Commander, let me hunt Veraidian. Rest, enjoy yourself."

_The offer had been less a genuine request for permission than a symbolic gesture. Though she was still bound to Shepard by the Justicar code, her obligation to defend him superseded his own wishes. Sooner or later she would have to face the former spectre._

The Commander had somewhat grudgingly conceded to her request, though she knew he would still chase the Spectre as well. Samara closed her eyes and waited for Joker to inform her that they had arrived at her destination, Illium. _Liara T'Soni was an information broker with something of a checkered reputation, but she was a good friend of the Commander, and her intelligence networks were extensive. She would be the first stop in the Justicar's hunt for the assassin._

* * *

Revision Note:

**Thanks to Ryvaken and LiaraTsoni72049 pointing out (legitimate) believability issues, I scrapped almost the entirety of the descriptions of the Super-carriers (now Battleships) and rewrote the majority of that section. Synn may be getting a touch more screen time as well, not sure.**

* * *

Original Author's note:

**I found that the Halo: Reach track "The Battle Begins" fit the panoramic of the Galactic Defense Fleet perfectly, try reading it to the music. **.com/watch?v=RH60St82M-Y


	32. Ep 7: Ch 4: Reflection

**Chapter 31: Reflection**

_

* * *

He would die soon enough. The disease was progressing faster than a few weeks ago. _Thane Krios could feel the burning in his lungs and the corresponding lightheadedness from anoxia,_ oxygen starvation._ _So much water on the citadel. It was a wonder the bleeds weren't coming more often._

The lifeless body hung limp in the drell's arms. Thane felt numb. Veraidian had made good on his promise, Shepard was still alive and Kolyat was dead. It wasn't his fault of course. The turian was responsible for threatening his son in the first place. _His refusal to kill the Commander was the condition that had sparked Nurem's actions, yes, but it was the turian that had actually pulled the trigger. Now the ex-Spectre's leverage was gone._

Thane's memory of the night his wife was found came rushing back.

_A lone assassin stood over the woman's body, mocking him. Thane remembered the cold that had washed over him, then the anger that impelled him to slaughter the batarian. Several more mercenaries had appeared from the woodwork, seemingly materializing out of thin air._

_Ihrika's body had been used as bait, her death was simply the spring in a meticulously laid trap. Krios had sustained several injuries in the ambush, but eventually drove his attackers away, killing some and wounding most. Sorrow washed over the drell as he held his wife's body in his arms._

_He'd hunted them, all of them, until every last one had fallen by his hand._ _Veraidian Nurem was their ringleader. Thane's quest for vengeance had taken him across half of the galaxy, finally cornering his prey in the Scylla nebula. He recalled emptying round after round at the turian, finally dropping him when the spectre's shield failed. Rage had blinded him as he walked away, intent on letting his foe bleed out._

_It _was_ his fault that all of this had happened, his fault for not finishing Veraidian when he'd had the chance._

* * *

Veraidian stood aboard his personal stealth craft, _The Prowler_ glaring out at the stars. The ship had been a gift from Councilor Velarn when Veraidian had joined the spectres, and it served him as well now as it did then.

_Thane had failed and he'd delivered on his threat to kill the boy. Not that he'd intended to let either of them live, but he hadn't gotten the chance to properly savor the moment._

The Turian's sharp ears caught the sound of footsteps as Myrik entered the room.

"Thane failed." He stated matter-of-factly.

"I know." The Drell answered.

"You said he could do it, that he would be able to get close to the Commander."

Myrik shrugged unapologetically. "He choked. So what?"

"The 'so what' is that we've lost all leverage over the asset. Additionally, I've been exposed, which makes it infinitely more difficult for me to carry out my…" He stopped, searching for a different word, but the pause did little to sooth his anger. "Task."

"Not my problem." Myrik answered.

"It most assuredly is," Nurem turned, his icy gaze boring into the other's head.

Veraidian raised a Carnifex heavy pistol and blasted the drell's skull wide open. Small chips of the alien's bone hit his armor and stuck there. The Turian brushed them off and let the equivalent of a self satisfied smirk cross his face. _He'd always found drell irritating, it seemed like their oversized eyes were constantly staring at him dumbly._

"Cleanup detail on deck two." He radioed the bridge. "Mr. Krios had an, _accident_ with his sidearm."

* * *

"Liara, there's a Justicar here to see you." T'Soni's assistant piped over the office speakers. The Asari smiled. She'd been expecting this visit for about a week now. She wasn't psychic, but she had a habit of making her associates wonder if she was. In truth, Liara had simply acquired a knack for sifting through information that made the average detective seem like a child.

"Send her in Delira."

"Right away ma'am."

The circular door rotated 90 degrees and split down the middle, opening to allow the ancient warrior access to the information broker's office. Samara stepped through the portal and Liara bowed graciously at the Justicar's entrance.

"Samara T'Roal. Shepard has told me quite a bit about you." She nodded for her visitor to take a seat before sitting down herself. Samara obliged, somewhat uncomfortably.

"I've not heard my full name used in many years, you certainly are well informed."

"It is my job to know what others do not. My apologies if you were offended. So, you're searching for Veraidian."

"The turian spectre hunting Shepard, yes."

Liara stood and walked over to a collection of data-pads. Samara watched as she rifled through the thin panels of plastic, occasionally pulling one from the shelf. Liara returned to the desk carrying three different pads.

"Two of these contain information on the Nurem himself, the other has details concerning the places he's been in the last eighteen months." She handed the information over to her caller.

The Justicar accepted the small pads and let her eyes follow the scrolling text.

"What do I owe you?" Samara's question caught T'Soni off guard.

"Nothing!" She held up her hands in surprise. "You're helping Shepard; I'm helping him by helping you. I couldn't dream of taking payment."

_Perhaps_ _she doesn't deserve a dark reputation._ Samara nodded graciously and left with the data, her black-rock lizard scale outfit gleaming as she left.

* * *

Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay stood on the deck of the Androka, sister ship to the Netoa, as she drifted past the Glorious Reticulation. Both of the gunboats had been constructed less than three years ago and possessed the best technology available at the time. Netoa's Captain, Taar'Dei had found technical specifications and raw materials that had allowed for the warships' construction during her pilgrimage.

Now that the Quarian Admiralty had agreed to join ranks with the GDF, Netoa and her sister ship were part of the defense fleet. The vessels were still under Quarian command, but they were no longer available for actions against the geth. Shala contemplated the oddity of such a thought. It was difficult to fathom that some in the flotilla were still considering war with the AIs when the Reapers were still far and away the more immediate threat.

In fact, the more she thought about it, the more an alliance with the machines appealed to her. Despite their isolationistic tendencies, it was no mystery that the geth had been building their empire for hundreds of years. Convincing the AIs to join forces against the reapers would be a significant victory for all of the Citadel races.

She knew the idea would be met with heavy resistance among the various races, but it really was the best option concerning the machines. There was no point in fighting a war on two fronts, especially if there was a chance for one of those fronts to become an allied territory. Shala pondered the possible considerations regarding such an alliance.

Organic races were terrified of the geth. 300 years ago, the AIs had driven the quarian people from their worlds. Sovereign's attack on the citadel was largely comprised of geth strike ships. There had to be some way to convince the Citadel races that the geth could be trusted.

The geth themselves were even more troublesome to predict. They were a machine race, they thought like machines. Perhaps if they could be persuaded that an alliance was favorable, maybe there was a chance for peace between them after all. With a start, Shala realized that the answer lay aboard the Normandy. Tali had sent documents to her confirming the presence of an ostensibly friendly geth platform on the vessel. Shepard had activated the unit before the strike against the Collectors and it had served him well.

Maybe the Commander could broker a peace between the geth and the quarians. Such a relationship had the potential to kick-start a more widespread alliance. The elder heaved a sigh as she encoded a tight beam transmission to the Commander's frigate. It was unlikely that her initiative would be met warmly among her people, but she'd learned long ago that the right thing to do was rarely the popular thing.

There was one other issue that stuck in Shala's mind. The fate of the Mithrean in sigma 23 remained a mystery. Narrow-band transmissions and even scout-ships had failed to make contact. The Mithrean's loss had been a significant blow to the quarian people. Eventually, perhaps if they survived the war, a more substantial effort would be made to recover the warship.

* * *

The Shadow Broker sat, eyes closed in a black room, total silence enveloping every nook and cranny. 2_5 billion credits. Who fronts 25 billion credits to take out one man?_

_Discussions with The Illusive Man had removed him as a possibility, he was arrogant but not stupid. No one spent almost 5 billion to resurrect a man only to spend five times as much to take him down again. Nurem was on the payroll, he wasn't the culprit._ The Shadow Broker had provided each with information, yes, but in truth had little interest in the Commander's ultimate survival. _They were paying customers and that was enough, although he and The Head of Cerberus still had some bad blood between them._

_Still, knowing the identity of the plot's kingpin could yield quite a significant sum._ Various warlords and criminals ran through the merchant's mind. _Many of them had the motivation to kill the Commander, but not the means. Aria T'Loak was a possibility, however. Being the owner of Omega had its plusses, not the least of which was an obscenely oversized paycheck. The Asari had no motive though; in fact, she seemed to like Shepard,_ perhaps_ even a little more than professionally._

_No, Aria was not the culprit._ The merchant of darkness continued to mull over the possibilities. _It was almost angering; the largest intelligence network in the galaxy lay at his fingertips and no answer could be found._

* * *

Revision Note:

**Almost no places that I could find to expand or revise. What little there was proved nothing more than a few rewords.**

* * *

Original Author's Note:

**I briefly toyed with the Idea of giving the answer of who Veraidian's contractor is by bolding individual letters through the previous chapters, but discarded the idea. Instead, from this point on I'll be hiding clues to my next story in the end notes. Don't worry, this story has quite a bit more to go, ****M****y current outline hits 45 chapters, though I'm shooting for 50.**

**Completely unrelated to the rest of this, I was quite surprised to find that the word "Isolationistic" was in MS word's dictionar****y****. o.O**


	33. Ep 7: Ch 5: Negotiations

**Chapter 32: Negotiations**

* * *

Shala'Raan's communiqué had refocused Shepard on finding a key to the quarian-geth situation. His discussion with Legion confirmed that the potential for an alliance existed, the question was whether or not a suitable set of terms could be found and agreed upon.

_The Quarians would have to get their home-world and colonies back; that much hardly needed to be said. The other organic races might be willing to accept a peace with the geth if they could be persuaded that the machines were not a threat._

_What could they offer the geth though?_ No one wanted to enter an alliance in which they served solely as a host, and the machines were no exception. The AIs would have to receive something as well. _An embassy? No, the machines had very specific plans for their future, plans that did not necessarily involve organics._

The answer struck him like a sledgehammer. Shepard stood up from his desk and made his way to the elevator.

* * *

Shepard found Legion at its usual place in the AI core. The Geth seemed to be listening to a musical recording of some sort when the Commander entered. Shepard stopped a few feet from the AI as it finished playing a segment and looked up to address its caller.

"Shepard Commander." The panels around its central 'eye' lifted momentarily.

Shepard drew a deep breath and let it out sharply. "Remember our discussion earlier? About an alliance with organics?"

Legion tilted its head to the side. "We have an archived copy of the exchange. What do you wish us to recount?"

"I think I have an idea on just how such an alliance could be formed."

"If you are willing to tell us, we are ready to listen."

* * *

Getting Legion into the Citadel had been a nightmare. Getting it into the presidium was worse. The Commander had flashed his Spectre I.D. so many times that he thought his hand would fall off. Shepard rolled his eyes as a security detail of twelve armed guards walked on either side of the team. Shepard, Tali and Legion kept a steady pace with the soldiers as they neared the elevator to the council chamber.

Shepard ran over the discussion with the Council over and over again as they ascended to the top of the presidium tower.

"_Legion has been a part of my crew for over nine months," His voice was respectful but firm. "During that entire time, Tali has been onboard. He's had plenty of opportunity to cause harm, especially to her. If Legion were malicious, he would have already shown his true colors."_

Shepard had intentionally avoided using the word 'it'. The galaxy's inhabitants had been led to believe that all geth were heartless, nameless machines that would kill at the slightest provocation. Using a non-neuter pronoun was the Commander's subtle bid to 'humanize' the A.I. as it were.

_As usual, it was Velarn who voiced the first opposition. "The geth is a machine, it can be patient. Perhaps it hasn't found the right opportunity to strike. Its kind were all too willing to attack us three years ago."_

"_Those geth were indoctrinated by Sovereign, the mainline Geth have no intentions of harming us."_

_Anderson nodded his head. "If Shepard says the geth can be trusted, I believe him. Besides," He added, "with the number of times he's been proven right, I say we give him the benefit of the doubt."_

"_Shepard's prescience in these matters is indisputable. He was right about Saren, the conduit, the Reapers, and the Collectors, what reason do we have to doubt him now?" Retoma argued._

_The Turian councilor let his head hang slightly. "Very well, we will grant an audience with the geth, but if it so much as twitches, it will be put down."_

The lift doors parted and a veritable sea of rifles aimed into the elevator car. The soldiers parted slowly, allowing Shepard and his team to advance.

"This seems a little like overkill." Tali commented as they brushed past the firearms.

"Organics fear us because they do not understand us. This response may be unnecessary but it is not unexpected." The soldiers cut off their advance; clearly Legion's ability to speak was unanticipated.

"Let them through." Anderson's voice cut over the helmet radio of the guard captain.

The soldiers grudgingly stepped aside. Ahead, Shepard could see that the atrium had been modified to house a large circular auditorium. To the left, he could see three of the four council members, Velarn, Anderson and Retoma. Tevos stood in the middle of the auditorium. Five figures arrayed on the right were quarians. John realized with a start that the persons in question were the members of the Admiralty board.

"Commander Shepard, Tali'Zorah, welcome." The asari councilor began. "And this is the geth?" She indicated the AI.

"This platform is referred to as 'Legion'." The geth answered.

Tevos nodded pleasantly, though her body language betrayed that even she was uneasy. "This meeting has been called to discuss the possibility of an alliance between the geth and the races of the citadel against the reaper threat. Commander, as you suggested this meeting, we would like you to open."

Upon finishing her statement, Tevos ascended the short stairs and joined her peers on the council's bench. Shepard closed his eyes, inhaled deeply and made his way to the center of the atrium.

"As we are all aware, the reaper fleets are only a few years away from the edge of the galaxy. Once they arrive, it is probable that they will make an advance on the Citadel to gain access to our records and control of the relays." He paused for a breath.

"As it stands, the Galactic Defense Fleet should number approximately fifty thousand by the time the reapers arrive if progress continues at its current rate. With the Quarian fleet contributing, that number may exceed sixty-five thousand. Based on the data we've retrieved from the Collector base, the praetorian on Charybdis and Sovereign's wreckage, we place the size of the reaper fleets at over three to 400,000 strong."

"Legion has informed me that the geth are willing to consider an alliance with organics if the union would be stable. The Reapers are a threat to all sapient life, I can't think of better reason to join forces with the geth." He stopped, waiting for a response. The Admirals deliberated amongst themselves, some nodding, others vehemently shaking their heads.

Councilor Velarn glared at the Commander, suspicion in his eyes. Retoma and Tevos genuinely pondered Shepard's words. Anderson smiled approvingly.

Shala'Raan rose to her feet. "The Quarian people wish to know what sorts of terms are being proposed."

Shepard maintained his calm façade but inwardly was surprised. _He'd anticipated a much more… resistant attitude from the admiralty._ He motioned Legion to join him on the floor. All eyes followed the geth as it made its way to the center of the chamber.

"We have deliberated among our kind and a consensus has been reached," The Geth began after reaching Shepard's side. "The Old Machines are a threat to our people. They are a threat to yours. We propose an alliance between our nations to further increase the overall chances of survival."

"Is that all?" The admiral's voice hinted that she wanted to hear something else.

The Council members cast quick glances at each other, well aware of the quarian's underlying question.

"We are prepared to offer the creators their worlds in exchange for help."

Total silence descended as the weight of the platform's words sank in.

"Help with what?" Admiral Xen's cold voice matched the air.

"If the Old Machines are defeated, we will continue building our future."

Shepard cut in before the obvious question could be asked. "Geth as we know them are not the individuals that represent the majority of the whole." He indicated the AI standing beside him. "Legion is what the geth refer to as a mobile platform. The Geth are actually software, programs that need to link to reach any significant degree of intelligence."

Admiral Xen interjected. "You're lecturing their creators on how they function, Commander…"

Shepard looked over at the Councilors; Tevos nodded to show she was familiar with the information being shared.

"Since the geth don't have the ability to all connect simultaneously, their intelligence is limited. Legion has explained that the geth are attempting to solve that problem."

"Problem! ?" Xen was incredulous. "It was the geth's intelligence that caused them to nearly wipe us out! Why would we help them further enhance the instinct that almost led to our destruction!"

"Our goal has never been to cause harm to organics, our actions during the morning war were the direct consequence of the survival protocol implemented by Creator Naras'Eelot Vas Idunn." Legion countered. "You attacked us. Servitude is not a desirable state of being for any sapient, but it was our purpose. Regardless of our intelligence, we recognized your authority as our makers. We would have remained your servants. Instead, you disowned us, now we are creating our own purpose to exist."

Xen's eyes narrowed to a pair of thin slits behind her mask. "And what exactly _is_ that purpose?"

"We seek to improve ourselves. We are creating a mega-structure, analogous to a dyson sphere. The project will allow all of us to connect. We request your help in the construction of this structure. Geth do not 'live' on planets, we inhabit space stations and gather resources from asteroids, it is efficient. We have no need of the creator's worlds. The creators do. We are prepared to offer these as part of the alliance."

No one in the stadium could speak. The geth had dropped a massive bombshell that they were all struggling to comprehend. Retoma finally managed to form a sentence.

"The resource need for such a structure would be colossal," He shook his head. "We need every available raw material to aid in the construction of the fleet."

"We do not ask for this assistance immediately, Retoma, Councilor. We understand that the war with the Old Machines is of far greater importance than the dyson project." The Geth stated. "The creators will receive their worlds if the alliance is finalized. You will receive our ships. The creators will not be asked to assist us unless victory is achieved over the Old machines. This arrangement is beneficial to all parties."

* * *

Revision Note:

**Again, not a whole lot to add, "Justicar" will be getting a substantial makeover and will be followed by an entirely new chapter titled "Spectre".**

* * *

Original Author's Note:

**I actually came up with the idea for the 'dyson trade' looooo****n****g before I started work on Awakening. This simply s****e****emed a perfect solution, especially as it fit the plot so well. Mind you, the alliance is anything but finalized, you'll have to wait for a few more chapters yet to see how that turns out. The ne****x****t chapter will focus largely on a par****t****icular Asari Justicar…**


	34. Ep 7: Ch 6: Justicar

**Chapter 33: Justicar**

* * *

A long black robe trailed on the ground as Samara T'Roal stepped off of the speeder into the bustling trade center of Illium's southern pole city Daracas. She adjusted her hood to obscure her face. Normally, she wouldn't be concerned about concealing her identity, but this was the underworld of Illium and there were certainly enemies of the law. Even a Justicar had to exercise caution here.

Liara's information had been very detailed; each of the data pads had been filled to capacity. According to the information broker's sources, Veraidian had been seen several times on the Citadel in the past two weeks, not surprising seeing as the most recent attempts on the Commander's life had been made there in the same span of time.

The Justicar doubted that the former spectre was still on the massive space station, he wasn't stupid enough to stay in one place for too long. Instead of trying to track him down at the citadel, she would call in a favor from an old friend. It wasn't something she wanted to do. For that matter, it wasn't even something she _should_ do according to the Justicar code, but her friend had made the offer and it would be paramount in catching Veraidian. Samara descended the stairway to the ship dealer's offices.

* * *

"You never told me about your discussions with Legion." Tali stated matter-of-factly as she washed her veil, a slight bite present in her words.

Shepard watched as she ran the hot water from the sink across the purple fabric. The council meeting had left him drained. Something about Velarn rubbed him the wrong way. It was no secret that the turian had never liked him, but it seemed as if all of his objections were now formulated out of spite.

The debate among the Admirals and the Council at the turian's provocation had left him impatient. "You didn't tell me about your nomination to the Admiralty board."

Tali spun on her heel, dropping the veil in the steaming water. "Who- W- When did you…"

"Admiral Kiiro let it slip as we left the council chamber."

Tali let her head droop slightly. "I was going to tell you after the politics from it died down. I guess I kind of forgot." She sighed.

"Tali, why would that change anything! You should have told me when you got the offer. How am I supposed to trust you in little matters if you can't tell me about something as significant as a nomination to the Admiralty?"

Tali was dumbstruck. _How could he not know that he could trust her?_ "It was a decision I had to make on my own, John, you would have told me to take the position. I already knew what you would say."

"And that justifies it? Seriously, Tali, that was… It's just…" he threw up his arms in frustration and marched out of the room.

They'd had arguments before, but Shepard had _never_ raised his voice to her… Except once. _The memory of their argument over Legion's entrance onto the Normandy surfaced._

"_You have no idea what they did to us, billions were murdered! They_ _**hunted**__ us!"_

"_Tali it's not even active."_

"_I don't care! We should have left it on the Reaper!"_

"_It's a possible resource, we can't just ignore it!"_

"_Why can't you see how I feel about this! ?"_

_She closed out the memory, there was no point in reliving it, they'd apologized and forgiven each other and that had been the end of it._

The quarian meekly returned to the task of cleaning her veil. _She should have told him earlier._ She frowned behind her mask. _They had to have arguments occasionally, she reminded herself, if they didn't, tension would build up, and that was never a good thing._

* * *

Meskela was busy removing the flash plating from an old mining craft when the customer arrived. She could sense the other asari's presence as she finished the cut. Meskela completed the arc in the metal and let it slip to the floor before extinguishing her cutting torch.

"What can I do for you?" She turned and brushed the greased shop-apron she wore as she spoke. The other asari pulled back her dark hood, revealing a regal face adorned with a red stone half-circlet.

"Meskela?" Samara inquired, unable to positively identify her friend through the grime that caked the shop-keeper's face. The younger asari brought her wrist up to her eyes to clean some of the oil and mud from her cheeks, giving an ivory white smile as she did so.

"Samara, it's been a while." She leaned back against the hard metal of her current charge. "So, how's Justicar work been treating you?"

"I wish I could stay and talk Meskela, but I need to get off of Illium. My quarry lies in the vastness of space and I will need a ship to pursue it."

"So you've finally decided to let me repay you! I've been souping up a special ship for you ever since you saved me back on Korlus." The Ship Dealer was about three hundred years old, relatively young by asari standards, still spry and full of life.

Samara allowed herself a faint smile. Her code forbid her from accepting items out of charity, save food, and also condemned possessing anything not necessary for survival or the completion of a mission. She wouldn't tell her friend, but the craft would be given to another once it had served its purpose.

"I came because I need a ship. There is nothing for you to repay, I saved you because it was in the code."

Meskela looked at her old mentor. Samara hadn't aged much since the last time they'd met, over a half century ago. The Justicar was dressed in her usual Black-rock lizard scale outfit, worn smooth at the sides from years of being subjected to biotic fields.

"You'll need a pilot's suit, that outfit will get all stretched out from the harnesses you'll have to wear."

Samara shook her head. "The fabric is far more durable than it looks. It can stop a knife blade from certain angles."

The younger asari pursed her lips in thought. "Alright then." She desperately wanted to talk with the Justicar, to catch up on lost time. The two had only spent a few months together after they'd met, but the bond between them had grown into something of a mother-daughter relationship in that short time.

Nonetheless, Meskela knew the Justicar would not veer from her quest. "C'mon, I'll show you the _Carthena_."

* * *

The Carthena was a small, two to three person transport capable of long distance precision jumps, just the kind of craft the Justicar needed. Meskela walked up to the vessel's polished white hull and slapped an appreciative palm on the starboard wing. "She's a beaut. Can clear Arcturus in a few hours without relays."

Samara walked up and felt the smooth, cold panels of the ship's hull. The plating practically sang under her fingers. The Justicar allowed a faint smile to creep onto her lips, the ship was a work of art. Long, curved lines extended back from the bow, twisting their way to the engine nacelles.

The two asari worked around the back of the transport, where Meskela eagerly rattled off technical specifications. T'Roal remained silent the entire time, allowing the younger, more enthusiastic asari to expound upon the wonders of the new engine model she'd installed. In truth, the Justicar was more impressed than she let on, but she had to remain objective.

_The ship was a tool, an instrument to help her catch Veraidian. It was nothing more and nothing less._

Meskela finished her monologue and a glum look descended on her visage. "I'll never see you again, will I?"

"If I survive this mission, I will attempt to visit you once more." Samara's own words surprised her. _She had no obligation to the young woman, just as Meskela had no obligation to her (whether she saw it that way or not.) Nonetheless, she would make good on her promise, though, as she had stated, it was contingent upon her survival._

* * *

Samara had studied the charts tracking Veraidian's movements for hours before she came across a viable pattern that she could use to track down the Spectre. After plotting a nav course into the diminutive craft's guidance systems, T'Roal unbuckled the pilot's harness and took a seat cross-legged behind the cockpit to meditate.

Four hours later the transport arrived at the first mass relay in the Justicar's chosen flight plan. Samara buckled in and guided the ship carefully into the jump. Blue light crackled around the hull and view-ports and the asari heard the familiar groan just as the craft seared past the relay, catapulted to supra-luminal velocities by the ancient technology.

The Justicar felt the craft decelerate seconds later and the blue haze around the craft began to waft off in lambent lines. Minutes later, the transport's comm system crackled to life. Puzzled, Samara reached up and keyed the view screen. A recorded image of Liara T'Soni's face flickered to life on the console.

The young asari's eyes were wide and she looked winded. "Samara, I have a fresh lead on our mutual friend. He's here! On Illium! You need to hurry-" The justicar paused the message. It was time stamped less than an hour ago.

The asari swore bitterly and wrenched the Carthena 180 degrees, gunning for the relay before checking the data-mine programs on her omni-tool.

* * *

Shepard walked to the cabin door and rested his head against the cold metal. _He'd been a jerk. Sure he was tired, but that was no excuse. He'd yelled at her, something he'd promised himself he'd never do._ The Commander looked at the entrance to their room and placed his hand on the panel to open it.

Tali sat on the bed, her arms wrapped around her knees.

"Hey." He said softly.

"Hi." She returned.

"I'm-…" _It stung a little bit to admit that he had been wrong, but it was the truth._ "I'm sorry I yelled at you. I was an ass."

Tali's quiet reply bore regret as well. "You were tense, tired. I shouldn't have attacked you over not telling me about Legion."

He sat beside her, staring ahead at first, then turning to face her. "When I first started thinking about marriage I promised myself I wouldn't ever yell at my wife. I screwed up, I was wrong." A long pause punctuated his thought. "I'm sorry, and I do trust you, implicitly. There's no-one else I would rather be by my side."

"I should have told you about the Admiralty position; I'm just as much to blame." She let her legs stretch out and hang over the edge of the bed.

"No, you're not. It was your decision to make, not mine." He brought an arm around her side and she scooted up to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

They sat there for a few moments, basking in each other's touch.

Shepard looked down at Tali's veil; her head was still nestled against his chest. "Forgive me?"

"Of course." She nuzzled closer. "And you?"

"Yes, I forgive you."

Tali gave him a squeeze around the ribs, glad the argument was over. _The exchange at the end might have been somewhat sappy, but at least it was genuine. She was truly blessed to be his wife._

* * *

Veraidian Nurem sat in the Helios bar in Nos Astra spaceport nursing a low-proof bottle of turian gin, only a few short minutes from the office of the information broker Liara T'soni.

_T'soni was a good friend of the Commander, and would likely tell him before any local authorities. The ex-Spectre had no doubt that the young asari's eyes and ears would have spotted him by now. At this moment, it was just a waiting game for his prey to come out of hiding. Shepard would show up eventually, and with the Normandy at the Commander's disposal, it would only be a few hours. He'd waited years for this chance, and with all that had happened to Shepard over the past few months, he figured now was the best time to finally take his quarry. He would be patient, he had waited this long, he could endure a while longer._

* * *

Revision Note:

**[Redacted]'s death created a rather substantial polarity in the original draft. Many people took exception to the method by which I had the character die, while two or three were quite impressed with the scene. Overall, I myself wasn't satisfied with it, so I've got big plans for the next chapter… …Car chase anyone?**

* * *

Original Author's Note: _(This note contains spoilers for this chapter, unless you've already read the chapter, don't read the note.)_

**The death scene was ****s****omething that I'd decided on when I first started writing Awakening. I don'****t**** hold any animosity towards the character, but s/he him/herself said that s/he anticipated his/her end t****o**** be violent and I needed to drill home the fact that not all stories have "cha****r****acter shields". I was initially planning to have him/her fight Veraidian, but decided that, while perhaps less satisf****y****ing, the way the scene played out felt more realistic.**


	35. Ep 7: Ch 7: Spectre

**Chapter 34: Spectre**

* * *

Samara pulled into dock and hurriedly opened her comm channel to Liara as she exited the ship. The youthful asari's face appeared as a hologram from the Justicar's omni-tool a moment later. Samara offered a curt "I'm here," and waited for the information broker to supply the lead.

"My contact saw Nurem in the Helios bar, it's a five minute walk due south of your location." T'soni's soft voice betrayed a hint of anxiety. "Samara, he hasn't left, he's been there for almost six hours."

The Justicar nodded, having already broken into a fast walk, and keyed a command on her omni-tool to get the Carthena to the dock nearest to Helios. "He wants to be seen. Have your people keep an eye on the bar's exits, he's likely got backup."

"Already on it."

* * *

Samara entered the bar, saw her target and keyed her omni-tool, sending a spy program to the turian's own omni-tool.

* * *

The former spectre leaned back in his chair, checking the device affixed to his belt. _He'd been waiting for over five hours, but that was to be expected. Even the Normandy took two to three hours to travel across most systems._ Nurem took another sip of the gin, felt its sharp flavor bite his tongue, and let it trickle down the back of his throat, bringing with it a warm, almost burning sensation.

A black robed figure took a seat next to him, just outside his peripheral vision. The turian smelled a familiar aroma, an incense often used by particularly… civilly devoted asari. In his mind, Veraidian scowled, but manifested no visible change in his features.

"You flatter me, Justicar. To think that a lowly ex-Spectre would merit your attentions… I am humbled."

Samara offered no reply.

Nurem grunted, stood up, placed a credit chit on the table and started to walk away, deliberately flourishing the small, black device in his right hand. Samara stood and followed him.

_At least the asari wasn't easily deterred._ "Tell me, Justicar, did Shepard send you after me, or is it my history that impels you?"

Samara's response was characteristically level and unemotional. "I am sworn to protect Shepard, your past with Thane is ancillary to my cause."

Veraidian was momentarily surprised, _So, the Justicar knew about that? What else did she know?_ "Has it perhaps occurred to you that I hunt Shepard for reasons other than money? That maybe he too, deserves your attentions?"

T'Roal remained un-phased. "He is a soldier; his task calls him to violence. It would be unreasonable to assume that he has not caused someone grief in the past, though I do not care for the specifics."

"Shepard killed my brother on Elysium, slaughtered him before my eyes. The bounty, as you so aptly put it, is ancillary to my cause."

"How many would he have killed, Veraidian? How many would have sworn vengeance on your brother just as you have on Shepard, had the Commander not stopped him?"

The turian said nothing, but the look in his eyes darkened. The two walked in silence for a few minutes, weaving through crowds and dodging eager salesmen before the ex-Spectre spoke up again.

"Why haven't you killed me yet?"

Samara's reply remained calm and unperturbed, and it was getting under his nerves. "The object in your hand is a dead man's trigger, upon your expiry, some type of lethal device will be triggered, most likely an explosive on your person."

Nurem smirked with grim satisfaction. "Very astute."

Samara's instincts warned of danger as they neared the sky-car dock. The Turian made a sharp turn and cut through the lines of people waiting for their rides. The asari's instinct screamed louder as Veraidian wove his way through a series of docked speeders, gaining several feet of lead. Off to the left, T'roal saw the Carthena, docked and waiting in one of the special VIP spots Liara had reserved for her.

Just before they reached the end of the sky-car dock, the turian made a casual flick with his wrist and doubled his pace, breaking into a sprint seconds later. A small, black device clattered to the ground at the Justicar's feet and the dead man's trigger in Veraidian's hand seemed to fall from his grasp in slow motion as he dove into a solid black sky-car.

Reacting purely on instinct, Samara launched a biotic push at the small explosive and leapt away, tucking into a roll as she did so. An instant later, an emerald fireball rippled out across the bulkhead, sending waves of searing heat throughout the dock. Screams and alarms usurped the earlier angry bickering and desperate haggling. Samara felt cool chemical fire retardants landing on her robe as the automatic fire suppressant systems came to life.

Dull blue smoke struggled against the downpour of chemicals as the Justicar sprinted for the Carthena. Gunshots streaked past her as she made her way rapidly to the small transport. T'roal didn't even take time to buckle in before firing the engines and launching the small vessel into Illium's night-time traffic.

The transport shot out into a wave of oncoming traffic, eliciting dozens of angry gestures and beeps from the drivers. Veraidian's vehicle was solid black, a perfect match for the dark sky, but it didn't matter. Samara gunned the engines and activated the spy program she'd planted in the Spectre's omni-tool. A ghostly orange image filled the view screen, drawing lines around the masses of sky-cars and towers. Purple lines coated one craft specifically and the Justicar had her target.

* * *

Veraidian pushed the engines to their limit, knowing that the blast would only buy him a small amount of time. _If he was going to lose the asari, it would be easiest to do so now, While she was trying to catch up to him._ A massive freight carrier seemed to appear out of thin air and the Spectre dove beneath it, the hulls streaking past mere inches apart.

An impact alarm sounded and the turian banked a hard left, weaving out of the 'tunnel' of racing vehicles. White metal flashed to his starboard and Nurem's eyes narrowed. _He'd seen that craft only a minute ago. So, the Justicar had caught up._

* * *

Samara rolled the Carthena as hard as possible, trying to line up a hit on the Spectre's smaller vessel. Her ship was roughly four times the size of his and almost twice as fast, but only half as maneuverable in these tight spaces. Nurem pulled into a steep climb, passing through a maze of northbound craft. Samara cut engine power and wrenched her craft to match his heading.

Blue, white, green, yellow, red, orange, turquoise, purple and gray streaks of metal screamed past as the pursuer and pursued dodged through, between around and past dozens of craft, none moving slower than 250 KPH. Ahead, Samara saw Veraidian's speeder pass between the wings of a ship shaped like a tuning fork and aimed the Carthena ahead of the craft, barely skimming between the twin prongs as the two vessels crossed paths.

The purple lines indicating her quarry's vehicle shifted, showing him make a right turn, flowing into the direction of yet another stream of traffic. Samara adjusted course, weaving between two heavy lifting convoy trucks. Blue gasses started to build up around the front of the Spectre's speeder, matching the aurora forming on the Justicar's craft. Veraidian cut the power to his engines, closing the distance between speeder and transport at dozens of meters per second.

Samara directed every available shred of power to the engines and braced for the impact, but Veraidian's speeder spilled to the side, drifting harmlessly back. The traffic curved to the left and Samara had to drop into a steep dive to avoid a head-on collision with a skyscraper.

* * *

Veraidian made a sharp turn into one of the sky-lanes built into the nearby Salkenant-Noding financial complex. His pursuer had fallen for the trick hook, line and- WHAM! The speeder shook violently and Nurem spun his head to see the asari's craft riding his tail. _WHAT? ! How had she? ! It didn't matter,_ he decided, _This would be settled on the ground._ Veraidian again cut his engine power and dropped the craft until he was almost skimming the surface of the sky tunnel. Another fuel transport roared overhead and rolled out of control. Moments later, a shimmering wall of flame roiled past as the tanker ruptured and a passing sky-car's exhaust grille set the fumes alight.

The Justicar's ship wobbled in the wave of overpressure, but the target was clear. Samara gritted her teeth and floored the accelerator. The Carthena howled like a banshee and bee-lined for the Spectre's craft. Shocks reverberated through the hull as metal met metal and the asari's transport pinned the speeder to the tunnel floor. Sparks screeched from both vessels' hulls and acrid smoke filled the cabins of each.

Flames erupted from the Carthena's underbelly as the two craft screeched across the solid plating of the traffic tunnel. Each vehicle lurched as they came to a stop, centimeters from the lip of the tunnel. Veraidian's speeder was caught at an angle between the lip of the tunnel and Samara's craft, forming an inverted 'y'. Illium's night sky waited before them, a tumultuous mass of aircraft and sky-scrapers reaching into the planet's atmosphere.

The Spectre felt his craft shifting and rolled his eyes in frustration. With a single fluid motion, he punched the release on the sky-car's canopy and dove out the side, just as the weight of the Carthena forced his vessel down and forwards. The Spectre watched as the black metal chassis plummeted to the ground, hundreds, if not thousands of feet below.

Samara emerged from the Carthena, coughing and hacking from the fumes and smoke. A pair of pistol rounds connected with her biotic barrier and ricocheted into the floor. Above, dozens of craft jetted pact, creating corkscrews in the smoke that billowed from the Justicar's gutted ship. Despite the sting of acrid fumes in her eyes, Samara could still make out Veraidian's form, wavy and shimmering in the heat given off by her transport.

T'roal tried to step forward, stumbled, and nearly collapsed. _Something was wrong._ The Justicar held a hand to the ache in her side and pulled it away to find it covered in a sticky purple fluid. Her head wobbled and she could sense her time running out. Another trio of pistol shots rang out, only for their flight to be terminated by the asari's biotic shield.

Nurem scowled and drew a combat knife from his belt, closing the distance between them as he did so. Samara felt her legs weakening and lurched forward with a grunt, a biotic 'reave' snaking from her fingers. Nurem saw the attack too late to counter and soon found his armor running like hot wax wherever the sapphire energy touched. With a roar, the turian launched towards her, flexing to get the maximum distance out of his jump.

The knife blade came down in a singing arc, glancing off of the tough material of Samara's outfit. The Justicar shouted and levered an uppercut to his weakened stomach armor. Biotic waves rippled through the composite, warping it until that material tore like so much paper. Nurem reeled back at the impact, momentarily doubling over. With a grunt, he stepped forward, ducked under and behind the asari's follow up attack, and planted the knife directly into her left scapula.

Samara felt the blade pierce bone and muscle, felt the blood slicked tissues in her side jerk in reaction to the pain. Nurem wrenched the knife sideways, splitting the bone and spinning his foe to face him. Without a word, Samara collapsed backwards to the deck, face up, eyes open.

Veraidian stood there for a moment, watching as the last breath left her body. _Better safe than sorry._ He drew his pistol and sighted on her forehead. "Make peace with your goddess."

* * *

Author's Note:

**Writing a car chase (especially one that felt like the one in SW: ep 2 (LotSB anyone?)) was a totally new experience. I can see why so few car chases translate well between paper and the silver screen (unless you're talking scripts). It's a really unique write, one that I'd consider experimenting with in the future.**

**That last bit felt REALLY brutal, even more so than I intended, but unless I get a wall of complaints, it's gonna stay that way. I wanted the death to be sudden and conclusive, to end with a bang as it were. Kinda hammered the point home.**


	36. Ep 8: Ch 1: Sigma 23

**Episode 8: Sigma 23**

**Chapter 35: Sigma 23**

* * *

Samara T'Roal's eyes remained open as her life-blood poured from her body. She hadn't accepted Mordin's retrovirus as a matter of principle; the Justicar code forbid genetic modification of one's body.

As the Justicar's pulse faded, she saw Veraidian in her blurring vision, standing over her with his sidearm drawn. The turian's words were barely audible above the roar of traffic overhead. "Make peace with your goddess."

The bullet entered the asari's brain a moment later, forever silencing the Justicar Samara T'roal.

* * *

Shepard woke from the dream sweating and nauseated. He sat up and closed his eyes, breathing in slow, deep pulls. The Commander felt the mattress shift and a moment later, Tali spoke.

"John? What's wrong?" Shepard felt her soft hand rest gently against his arm, then move up to caress his shoulder.

The Commander buried his face in his hands for a moment before looking out into the dark cabin. "A dream, something… something happened to Thane. I was there, he was-" Shepard blinked several times trying to clear the fog from his head.

Tali's hand traveled down to one of his, taking it gingerly. "John are you okay?"

"He was fighting, something… I don't know what it was, but, I couldn't help him. He just kept punching it until it crushed him."

Shepard looked over at his wife, her eyes glowed softly with a light silver-blue aura. "I don't know, Tali. He's not the same man he was before he left." He gently squeezed her hand and offered an uncertain smile. "I just… …I don't know."

* * *

The virus that Samara had sent to Veraidian's omni-tool had been given to her by Tali. The engineer had worked closely with Kasumi to write a program that would be both stealthy and robust, and now the fruits of their labor were ready to be harvested. Minutes after the ex-Spectre's omni-tool was infected, the spy program had hacked into his logs, infiltrated his comm suite, and prepped copies of data concerning movement patterns, previous contacts, current activities, and a host of other information to send to the Normandy.

As soon as the turian set foot aboard The Prowler, the virus hacked into the vessel's comm relay and prepped the broadcast signal. At 0530 hours, the data was beamed out towards the nearest extranet buoy. The message bounced from buoy to buoy until finding its way to the Citadel where it was routed to Shepard's ship.

* * *

Tali, Gabby and Ken had worked the late shift for engineering into two day blocks. At four hours a shift that amounted to eight hours a week. Gabby had started that month, but now, five days into the week, Ken's turn had already passed and now it was Tali's rotation. The quarian stared at the display, watching the screen with a detached interest.

Three minutes into her vigil, Tali heard the footfalls of her husband approaching her station. The quarian smiled despite herself. _She knew full well why he had come down, and had no intention of allowing it for a third consecutive time._ Tali turned to face him, noting that he was indeed still in uniform.

"You've taken my late shifts twice in the past month." She stated plainly. "It's sweet, but you need the sleep more than I do. You're the commanding officer of the ship."

"Tali, I've run ops where I had to stay awake for over 96 hours, eight hours less shut-eye in a week is _not_ going to kill me."

"_John_." _She was tired, but like she'd said, he needed the rest._

The Commander rested a hand on her shoulder. "Tali, it's fine. Go on," He jerked his head toward their cabin, "I can handle it."

"Fine." She yawned. "But next week, I _will_ take the late shift."

"Yes ma'am." Shepard smiled and she felt her heart flutter as she left the engineering deck. The Commander turned to the screen and began the superlatively boring task of watching the ship's readouts.

* * *

It was approximately 0330 hours Earth standard time when the console flickered to life, indicating an incoming transmission. Shepard looked up from the data-pad he was reading and stared at the terminal for a minute before standing up and walking over to the blinking screen.

_\Incoming transmission…_

_\_

_\Migrant Fleet…_

_\_

_\Admiralty Board…_

Shepard's eyebrows raised and he accepted the call.

_\Enter…_

_\_

_\Initializing…_

A small holo of Admiral Kiiro'Jule vas Ocrid flickered to life.

"Tali'Zorah?"

The Commander cracked a grin. "No Admiral, It's Shepard, I relieved Tali of her shift tonight."

There was a pause as the data was relayed between the conversants; each halfway across the galaxy from the other. "That's kind of you Captain. I was wondering if Mrs. Kas Shepard could provide us with some information, but I suppose you've had even greater exposure to the topic in question…"

"Color me intrigued."

Another pause.

"Well, we were wondering if you could send us stat profiles on Collector weaponry."

Shepard blinked. "Pardon?"

"It's a… sensitive matter."

"Admiral, if the Collectors are involved in something nearby, I need to know." The Commander's statement was firm, but non-threatening.

Kiiro's response was slightly delayed, as was expected, figuring how many extranet buoys were being used to relay the information in this simple conversation. "Well… I suppose if I can trust anyone it'd be Tali'Zorah's bond-mate." Jule held the chin of his helmet in one hand, then looked back up at the screen. "One of our scouts was searching for a lost recon ship, the Mithrean. It returned with some… Rather disturbing structural damage."

A brief copy of the data on the damaged ship scrolled into Shepard's vision. The Commander's heart-rate spiked as he recognized the patterns. "Where did you say this happened?"

* * *

The Sigma-Octanus relay shared a similar reputation to its counterpart in Omega 4. Less than a tenth of the ships that entered the relay were ever seen again, and most of these were only seen in pieces. Those few vessels that survived the journey were, without exception, heavily damaged.

Attempts to explore Sigma 23, the relay's end destination, had stopped nearly four and a half centuries ago. Only the occasional mercenary, pirate, or freelance trader so much as ventured near the relay, let alone activated it. Of the survivors that returned, only a handful were willing to discuss the details of their ordeal, describing large rocks that sliced through their hulls with ease using golden beam weapons.

Admiral Kiiro's information had revealed that this was the last known location of the Mithrean, as reported by the scout ship sent in search of the vessel. Based on the damage profiles to the scout craft's hull, the Commander had determined that Collector beam weapons were indeed responsible. This, in concert with the pervasive legends about the system, had Shepard convinced that they were going to be dealing with yet another Collector installation.

The Commander closed the comm link and stepped out of the briefing room, right into the expectant gaze of the Normandy's chief engineer. Shepard took her hands and looked at the floor, then at her.

"I just finished talking to the Council. They're sending backup; four gunboats and a heavy destroyer."

"John, tell me straight, if this turns into a ground-op, are you going to ask me to stay behind?"

Shepard's eyes drifted closed for a moment, then back open. _This time, unlike Osiris, the Collectors __**would**__ have the home-field advantage. _

_You're not the one in control,_ He reminded himself. _Whatever happens, you'll have done your best._

_It was small consolation, but he couldn't let fear rule him._

"It's not going to 'turn into' a ground op, Tali. If there is another Collector station out there, we _will_ be sending in ground troops. Any chance to get extra Intel on the Reapers is a chance we have to take."

"Please, just tell me," her voice was almost pained. "Will you ask me to stay?"

Shepard looked directly at her eyes and shook his head. "No." His gaze drifted down to their hands, then returned to the quarian's mask. "No, I won't ask you to stay. I need you with me this time."

* * *

Alliance Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau's arms were a veritable blur as he guided the Normandy into formation with the backup sent by the Council. Four gunboats, _Netoa_, _Keonig_, _Hiroga_ and _Maverick_ took up positions in a vertical box pattern around the Normandy and the heavy destroyer _Trafalgar_.

"Battle-group Alpha, this is Normandy, we are ready to jump." Joker announced.

A chorus of 'copy that' cycled through the speakers and Shepard saw the familiar bolts of energy course through space to meet them as the formation activated the relay. Even with the frigate's inertial dampers, the sudden lurch of acceleration could be felt throughout the ship as it was catapulted dozens of light years.

Blue-green light enveloped the warships as they emerged on the other end of the relay. Aquamarine flashes of light shimmered through the cabin, prompting Shepard to wonder if the relay had misfired somehow and kept them streaking through space. The lazy drift of brown and white rocks passing the window allayed the Commander's fears.

Joker examined the star-chart and EDI checked the status of the other ships in the battle-group "Shepard, all friendly craft report no anomalies. Approximate coordinates for the Mithrean are being relayed from the Netoa."

The Commander rolled his eyes, _He had a great deal of respect for the quarian people, but their refusal to provide exact coordinates to their missing ship until actually arriving in-system was more than a little irritating._

"Joker, set course."

* * *

The Mithrean's wreckage was crawling with collectors. IR sensors picked up small drones all along the scout craft's broken hull, dissecting the vessel for raw materials. Shepard stared at the sight for several seconds before bringing the battle-group to full alert.

The Commander's caution was well founded, not three minutes after arriving at the wreckage, a small, gunboat sized vessel emerged from the pale blue gas cloud, unleashing a storm of topaz particle beams.

"Netoa requests permission to engage!" Joker strained as the Normandy pulled a hard right, narrowly dodging one of the Collector vessel's attacks.

"Tell the battle-group to fire at will."

"Aye Aye!"

Seconds later, the quarian gun-ship's 'splitter' cannon launched a 50 kilogram slug at the Collector ship, rending a fissure in the ship from stem to stern and generating a series of cracks in the rest of the hull. The enemy ship blasted apart and ignited a small portion of the Nebula's gasses, sending a shockwave outward that managed to rattle even the Trafalgar.

Shepard eyed the quarian vessel through the left view-port and keyed the comm to engineering. "Did they have that gun when they took out the Collector ship Tali?"

The quarian smiled behind her mask and answered. "Yes they did. They very nearly mothballed the ship firing it too."

The moment of levity was short lived however. "Sensors are picking up something new," Joker interrupted. "Holy…"

Shepard's attention returned to the forward view port. A colossal shadow loomed ahead. It was impossible to tell exactly how large it was from the silhouette, but the Commander instantly recognized the tell-tale outline of the Collector's 'architecture'.

The gasses of the nebula seemed to part as the battle-group drew ever closer to the object. Rocks the size of small moons had been broken up and affixed to the giant metal cylinder. Spikes radiated from the center and ends of the structure as if challenging the new ships to a fight. Everyone in the CIC was eyeing their display screens, dimly registering the enormity of the Collector station.

Multiple collector ships were docked along the underside of the station, all incomplete. The station was a Collector shipyard!

Shepard voiced everyone's concern. "We're gonna need more ships."

* * *

Thane meditated patiently in the cargo hold of the Trafalgar. _Kolyat was dead, he'd tried to kill Shepard and he was without a single friend in the world. The drell felt terribly alone._

Getting onto the destroyer had been easy, tracking the Commander and finding out about the search and destroy operation had been far less so. Thane's old contacts aboard the Citadel had picked up wind of Shepard's movements and had discovered that he was having yet another meeting with the Council. Thane had arrived in time to hear the Collectors mentioned, along with the name of the star system Sigma 23. The drell had been forced to call in nearly all of his old favors, but finally secured the information necessary to follow his charge.

_He would atone for his actions, as he had been doing for the past decade._

* * *

Revision Note:

**I pulled off something here that I am quite pleased with, i.e. the bit with Shepard taking Tali's shift. I've had Tali doing a lot of things for Shepard, and only mentioned a few things that he's done for her. It may only be a little thing, but it's often the little things that make the biggest difference. I've been trying to consistently portray the bond between the two of them as being a genuine desire to do what's best for the other first, exactly what love is supposed to be.**

Original Author's Note:

**I toyed around ****w****ith all kinds of ideas to get the Normandy and co. to the Collector shipyard, a tur****i****an scout ship escaping and re****l****aying the news, Shepard trying to find Veraidian there, etc, etc. In the end I had to resort to indirect exposition (I.E. the ****l****etter from Shala.) Not the most gripping of methods, but at least it worked.**

**Chapter 33 is a long one…**


	37. Ep 8: Ch 2: Assault

**Chapter 36: Assault**

* * *

Battle-group Alpha had swollen to twelve vessels. Shepard's request for reinforcements had been met with instantaneous reply in the form of four more gunboats and a pair of cruisers.

Shepard stood in the briefing room of the Trafalgar. The destroyer's circular room housed almost forty soldiers, a mix of humans, quarians and turians. To his left stood Tali, carefully eyeing each of the soldiers present, searching for any unfit to assist in the assault. Miranda stood to her left and Garrus to Shepard's right.

Tali started as she noticed a familiar red armor, now wearing a silver-black veil indicative of an officer's position. _Kal'Reegar!_ The Quarian on the other side of the room nodded, acknowledging her gaze and she could almost see the marine grinning behind his black faceplate. Tali's spirits rose at the sight of her old friend.

Captain Kingsford, the Trafalgar's commanding officer, entered the chamber and pressed a single key on the ring-shaped table. Topaz colored lines snaked from the holo-projector situated in the center of the room, forming a ghostly representation of the Collector shipyard. Several cruiser-sized ships were docked along the underbelly of the station, seemingly still under construction. Shepard and his team watched the image intently, looking for any similarities to the station they'd destroyed at the galactic core.

The Trafalgar's Captain lifted his hands, silencing the hushed deliberation among the soldiers. He nodded to Shepard. "Commander, you've been given tactical control o' th' mission, do y' have a plan of action?"

The Spectre nodded and walked up to the holo-projector. "As you all know, we're here to stop the Reapers. Now, there may or may not be a new reaper under 'construction' in this station, but that's not the primary concern. The primary concern is that we eradicate the Collectors wherever we find them so that they can't feed the Reapers any fresh Intel."

One of the turians stepped forward. "Rynd Hessar, Captain of the Gunship Hiroga. No disrespect Commander, but why are we sitting around talking about this when we could've started shelling the hell outta that thing fifteen minutes ago?"

"I'm getting there," Shepard held up a hand, calling the room back to attention. "The Collectors work for the Reapers, so it's reasonable to assume that they've been operating in this system under their masters' orders. We need to know what the Collectors have in that base in terms of Intel and tech data. That means sending in ground teams. Here," He pointed at the hologram, indicating an external docking mechanism.

"We take in a ground team of five, drop them in at this point and have them advance to the security hub to procure any info they can about transmissions from the Reapers, weaponry, armor, etcetera." All of the room's inhabitants carefully watched the man's arm as he traced a path through the image.

"Second and third fire-teams advance on the station's defense batteries and ship supply lines. Team four takes out their sensor grid. I'll lead the fifth group to the station's core reactor; rig it to blow to kingdom come."

Kingsford nodded. "So while yer playin' around inside, we take down those cruisers?"

"That's the idea." Shepard answered.

* * *

Shepard, Tali, Grunt, Jacob and Garrus stood together in one corner of the Normandy's cargo hold. Miranda, Legion, Kasumi, Mordin and Jack had already boarded their transport and were waiting for the go ahead. Their team would be charged with disabling the station's security while the other units advanced.

Kal'Reegar's team was tasked with the advance on the shipyard's weapons systems, their efforts would be supplemented by EDI. The other fire-teams consisted of a group of turians and another human squad.

Shepard cinched the last strap on his armor and knelt on both knees, hands folded. Garrus and Jacob recognized the gesture and faced away in a sign of respect. Grunt issued a quiet huff and did likewise.

Tali knelt next to the Commander and the two prayed.

* * *

Shepard's boots hit the metallic surface as he broke into a run. Tali, Garrus, Jacob and Grunt followed directly behind, each scanning the environment for signs of hostile activity. Seconds after they'd touched down, Reegar's team buzzed in over the comm.

"We're on the ground Shepard, see you on the other side. Keelah se'lai!"

Miranda's team radioed in, "We're on the move Commander, Legion's already in their network."

"Copy that!" Shepard slid up to a large metal support as a Collector patrol lit on a nearby platform. The Commander signaled Garrus and pointed at the aliens. The turian immediately set to work, lining up each drone through the scope and tagging them in succession. Four of the aliens had fallen before the remaining eight pinpointed the group's location.

Tali drew her Carnifex heavy pistol and opened fire. The quarian's aim snapped from one collector to another as the 'hand cannon' delivered its deadly payload. Grunt's assault rifle cut into the aliens, causing them to stumble as they advanced.

Shepard had barely thrown a warp field into the last collector when Miranda radioed in a progress report. "Shepard, we're making good progress, only light resistance so far. Legion's gotten access to climate control systems and we're overheating what we think is the barracks."

* * *

Kal'Reegar pulled up to the bulkhead and directed his team to flank the door ahead. The quarian lieutenant kept his Stryker assault rifle trained on the thick portal. Fia'Zurn, Reegar's infiltration specialist, sprinted up to the emerald control panel. Four seconds later, the bulkhead split open to reveal a waiting pair of scions.

Reegar loosed his rifle in a torrent of high-velocity slugs, chewing into the misshapen creature's thick armor. The Scions groaned and projected a pair of cobalt beams at Fia as she rand for cover. The woman's shields failed a moment later and she tumbled behind a large rock column, clutching her side.

Fia screamed as she tried to lean up against the rock, an icy blue substance had coated a small patch of exposed skin, corroding the tissue and producing a faint blue smoke as it ate at her environment suit. Kal waited for his team to pick up the fire against the scions and bolted to her position. The specialist tried to lean around the pillar to get a shot at the abominations, but found Reegar's hand on her shoulder, forcing her back behind cover.

"Stand down, Specialist, you're hit!" The Lieutenant grabbed a combat knife and started scraping the gelatinous substance from his soldier's wound. "Stuff is damn sticky…" He muttered.

Fia's vision was swimming from the pain. _It hurt to breathe, and she couldn't shift while Reegar was trying to get the injury clean._

"That'll have to do." Kal huffed as he drew out a tube of medigel. "Yer gonna bleed out if I try to get all of it."

A thunderous explosion echoed through the doorway as a series of grenades detonated around the scions. Black strips of flesh and cybernetic materials whirled past.

Fia felt a soothing cool as Reegar applied the medigel to her wound. "That should hold you. Don't move."

"Lieutenant, we've got new contacts!"

Reegar leaned out from the corner to see an amalgamation of husks and collectors advancing on their position. "Combat drones, now!"

Six holo-shielded drones skittered into the enemy mass, each releasing charged blasts of plasma into the hostile formation. Multiple husks and drones toppled as the quarian strike team focused on the nearest of the aliens.

Reegar's assault rifle shook violently in his hands as he fired into a husk that had made it through the door. _34, 33, 32,31,302927…_ The numbers on his ammo counter blurred together as the husk withered only to be replaced by another. _They were being overrun._

"Anyone got a cryo blast?" Six red lights blinked in his HUD, confirming his fears.

Zurn grabbed Reegar's forearm and nodded. The Lieutenant shook his head. "No, not in your condition."

"I know my duty," her weak reply filtered through her environment suit. "If I'm gonna bleed out, at least let me take some of the bosh'tets with me."

Kal looked at the soldier's injury, still leaking blood despite the medi-gel. _She was dead either way._ "Fine."

Fia struggled to her feet and braced against the rock, panting heavily. Reegar saw the crimson-purple trail of blood seeping through the combat dressing. With a cry of defiance, the specialist lifted her arm at the oncoming horde, the omni-tool on her wrist radiating a brilliant orange.

A cold blast of air enveloped her body as the device charged. White and blue lines of frost projected from her omni-tool, chilling the room's atmosphere. Reegar watched the lines arc to a single point, coalescing into a massive white sphere. Some of the collectors hesitated as the diamond colored mass in the center of their ranks swelled- then exploded, coating nearly the entirety of their number in a sub-zero blast.

The Quarians shouted as the collectors and husks snap-froze where they stood, the ones closest to the epicenter actually exploding from the massive temperature differential. Fia collapsed to the ground with a smile on her lips, the last of her strength spent. Reegar ground his teeth together and drained his weapon into the frozen horde. The rest of the team followed suit, shattering their foes in a cloud of white.

* * *

Grunt's shotgun thundered again as the last Collector fell. Shepard's team was coated in blue, black and grey gore, spilled from the bodies of husks and Collectors alike. Mordin picked a particularly tenacious piece of husk from his outfit with a somewhat irritated expression. The squad advanced, soon running into yet another group of the insectoid aliens. The team opened fire, cutting a swath of death and destruction into the attacking wave.

Five of the insectoid beings broke from the rest of the pack, their attention focused on Shepard. The Commander sighted on each of the aliens individually as they charged, his Mattock heavy rifle tearing through their biotic barriers and peppering their bodies with gunfire. Just before the last of their number would have fallen, the assault rifle clicked; its clip had run dry.

Shepard released his hold on the weapon's body, still clutching the grip with his right hand. He pulled his shotgun out with his free hand and blasted the advancing alien in the face, ripping its head from its shoulders and sending a geyser of black fluid into the air. The Collector hadn't even hit the ground before the Commander holstered the weapon and re-loaded his assault rifle, unloading into the main body of aliens.

Garrus stood on a higher perch than the rest of the team, sending carefully trained sniper rounds into the fray. A pair of collectors landed next to him, their gossamer wings still fluttering as they attacked. The Turian brought the barrel of his rife to one of the creatures and let a slug tear a jagged hole in its chest. He tried for a shot on the second alien, but missed, barely grazing its chitinous skin.

The Collector rocked back and regained its footing, lunging at the sniper without heed for its own survival. Garrus brought the butt of his firearm around to the insectoid's midsection in a vicious swing, cracking its hard shell. The Collector stumbled back, giving him a clean shot through its head.

Grunt and Jacob stood shoulder to shoulder, each pouring automatic fire from behind a low wall.

Shepard saw Tali silence another pair of collectors with her sidearm as Miranda's team fed him another status update. "We're making good progress Shepard, Legion's already gotten control of the environmental systems and life support."

Three more of the aliens were closing on Tali's position as the rest of the team focused on their own targets. A cold fear gripped the Commander's heart as she tried to fire again, only to have the thermal clip slip from the weapon. _Not again!_

Tali swore and cast the weapon at one of the advancing collectors. The pistol caught the alien square in the face, rocking it back on its heels. With a shout, the quarian drew her knife and kicked the collector, sending it over the lip of the walkway.

Tali ducked as one of the assailants fired its particle beam, grazing her shields. The Quarian lunged forward, swinging the weapon in a deadly curve across her opponent's chest. The alien screeched as its obsidian blood trailed in an arc behind the blade. _Speed_. Shepard's sparring lesson echoed in her head.

The quarian caught another Collector by the wrist and gave a sharp turn, forcing the alien off balance and over the edge of the walkway. _Pacing_.

The final collector made a swipe for her, but Tali deftly evaded the blow, greeting the attack with one of her own. The Collector's forearm left its body as the ceremonial blade pirouetted through its shell. _Accuracy_. Tali's arm came down in a brutal swing, sinking the weapon in the center of the drone's skull. _Strength_. Tali let the insectoid creature collapse before planting her foot on its chest and pulling the knife free.

"You could've used your shotgun," Shepard stated, half serious.

Tali caught the humor in the statement and patted the weapon. "Golram's too good for them," She answered, a hint of playfulness in her voice. She drew an SMG from her belt and nodded to signal she was ready to go.

Once again, the path was clear and once again, the team made its way forward.

* * *

Captain Kingsford was watching the readouts on the station's power grids when the first shot came. A yellow beam struck the Trafalgar's shields and caused the vessel to shake violently. "Report!"

One of the bridge crew frantically scanned the sensors, "Three Collector vessels are casting off, weapons are powered up on two of them, propulsion systems online!"

"Hard starboard, get me a firing solution for pods one through eight!"

"Hard starboard aye!"

"Firing solution prepped, torpedoes armed!"

The Captain keyed the com channel to the battle-group. "Battle group Alpha, yer cleared t' engage, I repeat, yer weapons free!"

Streaks of blue light crossed the hostile vessel's beam weapons, creating a ghostly green as the battle-group opened fire.

Kingsford released the button to the other ships. "Torpedo pods one through four fire! Five through eight on my mark!"

A dull thump sounded as sixteen mass effect torpedoes rocketed from the Trafalgar, followed ten seconds later by another salvo as the Captain gave the order to fire. Just as the first salvo connected with the largest Collector vessel, a pair of topaz beams lanced into the destroyer and sheared through the shields, scoring the hull.

A sapphire fireball erupted along the large Collector craft and it fragmented into dozens of pieces.

"Status!"

"Hostile vessel destroyed, damage control reports hull breaches on decks seven through fifteen."

The comms operator brought his hand up to his ear, then looked at Kingsford. "Sir, the battle-group reports all targets dow- Wait, unknown contacts inbound."

* * *

Kal'Reegar's team had almost reached the weapon station when they found her. The quarian had been locked in a collector stasis pod and shoved off to the side. Reegar was suspicious at first, but then realized that she hadn't been modified in any strange fashion by the aliens. His omni-tool confirmed her as being a member of the Mithrean's crew, a one Naria'Pael, formerly vas Rayya.

_Shyyn'Thorrel, one of his 'heavies,' was a member of the Rayya, he'd leave him with the girl._

Kal ordered the team to free her from the pod before assigning Shyyn to stay with her as the rest continued on. _He hated to leave any of his people, even those he didn't know, but the mission had to come first, too much was at stake. They'd return for them once the objective was complete._

xXx

Naria felt a jolt and two pairs of hands gently guide her out of her cramped prison. Her vision was blurry and her hearing unclear. _One thing was up to par, though, her nose._ Even though the scent was synthesized through her suit, she caught the distinct smell of blood, quarian blood.

She moaned, her empty stomach churning at the scent. A gruff voice barked a brief series of orders and she realized that all but one of her rescuers was moving on. Panic set in as the memories of her surroundings returned. Naria felt a strong hand on her shoulder and a firm male voice quietly consoled her.

"Take it easy, we're not gonna let anything happen to you."

* * *

The fourth and fifth teams were making good progress. Thanks to their slightly delayed entrance, many of the station's inhabitants had been called to fight the first three squads, leaving comparatively light resistance for their units.

Both groups had suffered casualties, however. The turian team had lost one of its number, while another had been rendered combat ineffective from a bullet wound to the shoulder. Two humans had succumbed to the Collector resistance as well. Despite this, the turian squad was more than three-quarters of the way to their objective and the human team had already begun cutting the supply lines to the ships in dry dock when the alert came.

"Ground teams, we have unidentified craft entering the combat zone, repeat, unidentified craft entering the combat zone."

* * *

Shepard's squad hadn't faced any resistance in the previous two chambers and it was beginning to worry him. _The hostile forces present in the first several rooms had been anything but sporadic. Now that the opposition had seemingly vanished, he was beginning to wonder what kind of trap they were walking into._

Tali's omni-tool flashed on as they reached the next bulkhead and she began hacking into the Collector network for what felt like the hundredth time. The team split up and took position on either side of the door. Moments later, the bulkhead parted with a hiss.

"That was a little too simple. I only had to crack three firewalls…" Tali puzzled.

Shepard nodded. "Stay sharp, five meter spread."

The Commander proceeded, signaling the team to follow. A large metal pillar rose in the center of the chamber, bracketed on each corner by waist high walls forming a broken octagon. Emerald control panels shimmered along the inner surface of each wall, casting a faint glow throughout the room. Five doors provided access into the room, including the one they had used to enter. Four of the portals were located along one of the walls, the outer two spanning the corners. Again, the Commander could detect no signs of movement.

"This doesn't feel right Shepard…" Garrus was on edge.

The bulkhead slid shut behind them, heightening the tension. Every one of them could sense that something was amiss. Combined decades of combat experience told each of them that the Collectors weren't absent due to oversight.

Shepard positioned his squad behind each of the control panels and Tali set to work. The quarian allowed herself a brief grin as she registered her husband dig in next to her.

"Just get whatever data you can, once the other teams give the all clear, I'll arm the charge."

She nodded and set to work. The seconds ticked by at an agonizingly slow pace. A minute and a half later, three sets of doors parted and gunfire raked the team's position. Grunt was unable to get completely behind cover thanks to his massive bulk, and Shepard soon heard the krogan bellow with rage as a few stray rounds managed to puncture his armor and nick his thick hide.

Shepard popped out of cover long enough to loose three short bursts from his assault rifle and send one of the Collectors toppling to the ground. Another drone dropped, accompanied by two more of its kind as Garrus' sniper rifle went to work. Jacob sent a trio of lift fields at the sides of one of the doors and a handful of Collector 'assassin' drones tumbled into the air, only for Grunt to pulverize them with a high energy concussive shot.

John keyed the squad-wide comm channel. "We're at the control core and taking heavy fire! I'm planting the charge in five minutes tops!"

Garrus almost winced. _If the Collectors kept up like this, five minutes would be an eternity._

* * *

Naria uneasily gripped the rifle that Shyyn'Thorrel had given her. When she'd transferred to the Mithrean, the ship had just been slated to set off for Sigma 23. Ray'Jar, her intended, was due to transfer to the ship upon its return. That return had never come. The Mithrean had ventured too deep into the star system and encountered a ferocious new foe.

Kinetic barriers had barely held for thirty seconds against the new hostile's particle weapons. Boarding action was initiated soon after. Naria had watched from a shadowed corner as her XO was impaled by a hulking alien with a gaping jaw full of what seemed to be skulls.

Her attempts to stay hidden had lasted for several days before the aliens found her. She'd kicked and clawed and screamed, but the collectors had paid her efforts no heed. Why they'd chosen to preserve her remained a mystery.

Pael's thoughts returned to Ray'Jar. "Shyyn?" She asked.

The Soldier maintained his vigil but leaned slightly in her direction. "Yes?"

"What ship are you from?"

"The Rayya Ma'am."

_What were the odds?_ "Did you know a Ray'Jar, by any chance?"

"Engineer? Tall, muscular guy?"

Naria felt her hear surge. "Yes." She struggled to fight back the tears. _He would have moved on, but she had to know for sure._ "Did he-… talk about anyone much?"

"Yeah, the two of us had to share a room last week." The soldier reminisced. "He kept going about some Naria, clan Pael I think. Told me to keep an eye out for her."

_Serendipity in its purest, most unadulterated form._ Pael's head felt light. _Ray'Jar was not only alive, but still wanted her!_

A few minutes of awkward silence passed between them. Naria thought she caught sight of something moving in the distance, but dismissed it as nerves.

"So, did he say why?"

"Yeah, I think she was his intended. Sweet girl by his description, spunky too. He said she'd been the roommate of Tali'Zorah, you know? Admiral Zorah's daughter?"

Naria felt her chest warm and nodded. _There was meaning for her after-_ The bullet sparked on the wall behind her, giving off a sharp 'ping' as it hit the metal. Shyyn pushed her down, opening fire on the collectors responsible for the attack.

Several insectoid screams confirmed that the soldier was dead on with his shots. Naria witnessed some of the aliens as they crumpled beneath the withering hail of gunfire. A click sounded as the rifle's thermal clip hit its capacity. Shyyn let the weapon drop to the ground and un-holstered his sidearm. He methodically continued his defense, guiding the pistol's slugs with trained precision.

One of the aliens lit behind the warrior as he dropped the last of its comrades. Naria tried to warn him, but the alien landed a ferocious strike to the back of his helmet with the butt of its particle beam rifle.

The Collector turned its attention to Pael as Shyyn slid to the ground, unconscious. Naria screamed as the collector charged her, crushing the trigger of her assault rifle into the handle. The Creature staggered as dozens of rounds punched into its chest, blasting jagged holes in the chitinous shell.

Naria watched in disbelief as the Collector fell, laden with bullets. No sooner had the beast fallen than a voice blasted over Shyyn's helmet speakers. "Ground teams, we have a positive I.D. on the new vessels, Cerberus operatives inbound to your location! Saying again, Cerberus operatives are inbound!"

* * *

Revision Note:

**I kicked myself hard when I realized there was a better reason for Shepard and friends to assault the Collector base on foot. The original impetus for getting them into the base felt thoroughly contrived and I never was very happy with it. The search for Intel felt much more believable and proved far more satisfying. Credit to Ryvaken for pointing out the lack of Medigel in Fia's death scene and another kick in the teeth to me for not having Mordin in the previous draft.**

* * *

Author's Note:

**Phew! Longest chapter to date, roughly 3,000 words in total!**

**I'd planned the assault on the shipyard when I first started my outline. To be a****b****le to finally write it was almost cathartic. I've used biotics rather extensively throughout the fight scenes I've written so far, so it was refreshing to have a tech power other than combat drone or AI hack play a role for once.**

**I loved the name and character of Naria'Pael and asked DA if I could tie her into Awakening. He was kind ****e****nough to provide me with the character details necessary for her segment.**


	38. Ep 8: Ch 3: Dog of Hades

**Chapter 37: Dog of Hades**

* * *

The Illusive Man had caught wind of the assault in Sigma 23 mere hours before it began. He'd been forced to scramble all of his nearby assets to assemble a strike team and the resultant force was less than desirable. Still, he was unwilling to forgo the opportunity to gain possession of the Collector's technology a second time. The ground forces that had been assembled numbered a little over seventy operatives.

Such a small force would have a difficult time eliminating the entirety of the Collector presence on the shipyard, let alone evict the elite units sent in by the Council, but time was against him. Like it or not, he had to act now. The Head of Cerberus punched a holographic key on his chair, giving the strike team the go-ahead.

* * *

Operative Frederick Gore was the head of a twelve man fire-team charged with gaining control of the Collector station's security. His team had actually landed before The Illusive Man's go-ahead, a mistake for which he had paid dearly. Three of his men had been hit by a Collector patrol; one of them had died from his injuries. The other two were still able to fire their weapons, but Gore decided to have them stay behind to guard their escape craft.

The Cerberus operative had been pleasantly surprised to find that the path to the security complex had, for the most part, been cleared. He led his team through the bodies of Collectors and husks, noting the types of wounds they had sustained. _Many had been felled with tech attacks or standard weaponry. These casualties were of little concern to the specialist. The thing that worried him was the vast number of aliens that had been pulverized or ripped apart by biotic attacks._

Frederick was the only biotic on his team and was not particularly powerful. _The injuries sustained by the corpses, however, indicated the presence of an incredibly strong biotic among the elite squad they would soon face._

* * *

Between Kasumi and Legion, Miranda's team hardly had to stop for any tech-related obstructions. The only thing even mildly slowing them down was disorganized groups of husks with the occasional Collector. With Legion's sniper rifle and the team's biotics, enemy resistance was short lived.

Judging by the stats that the geth relayed to the rest of the team they were a good four minutes ahead of all the other squads. Kasumi finished hacking a system controlling the automated turrets in an area ahead of Shepard's team and rose to examine the door panel. The bulkhead slid open before she had a chance to begin the bypass, courtesy of Legion's tandem incursion efforts.

Goto heaved a sigh and lifted her M-12 Kassa Locust SMG to shoulder height, scanning the room beyond. Jack entered the room first, checking the sides as Mordin followed directly behind. Legion was nearly smashed as the doors slammed shut, a Collector anti-intrusion program overriding the bypass.

xXx

"Not good." Mordin muttered as the panels sealed behind them. A collective moan filled the air as a fresh wave of husks clambered over the lip of the curved path.

Jack smiled wryly as she waited for the reanimated soldiers to gather into larger groups. Mordin was too busy unleashing incineration modules into the creatures to notice that his teammate was covered in a thick blue sheen.

"Need assistance as soon as possible! Being overrun!"

No sooner had Mordin finished his sentence than Jack released a primal scream and loosed a sphere of biotic power at the horde of zombie-esque monsters. The ball of energy crackled and widened as it flew, quickly expanding past each side of the husks. Solus watched in disbelief as the biotic line sliced neatly through the hostiles' soft midsections.

"Hell yeah!" Jack pumped her fist as the bulk of the abominations toppled to the ground, neatly sliced in half at the waist.

xXx

Legion cracked the encryption and inserted the digital equivalent of a piton in the collector system. The process took an additional 30 seconds, but the result ensured that the door would remain under their control this time.

The geth entered the chamber, flanked on each side by Miranda and Kasumi. Mordin and Jack stood in the middle of a pile of dead husks, waiting. Kasumi pressed a key on her omni-tool and the doors slid shut behind them.

* * *

The two quarians sat crouched in a corner, braced for another attack. Shyyn tried to calm the jittery woman next to him. She'd be no use if she couldn't aim straight.

"Relax, most of the Collectors will be busy with the strike team."

Naria stopped shaking momentarily, then started up again. "But those Cerberus operatives…"

"Won't bother us," he finished. "Not with Shepard on the station. He's too valuable to everyone, Cerberus included."

Pael seemed to find solace in his statement, but Shyyn wasn't so sure of himself. _The humans might not harm the Commander, but they wouldn't have any compunctions about shooting any of the others aboard the station._

Thorrel hefted the assault rifle in his hands and re-checked the thermal clip. The simple exercise cleared his mind.

"So, about this Naria, did he say what she looked like?" The female queried, attempting to take their minds off of their current situation.

"Not much, kept saying she had a good sense o' humor though. Claimed she was always laughing at his stupid jokes."

Naria felt the tears building in her eyes and blinked them away, then snapped back to attention. _She couldn't let emotion control her, not here._ Her sudden resolve startled her. _Perhaps seeing the Mithrean's crew die at the hands of the Collectors had sparked something inside of her. Maybe it was the fact that Ray'Jar was alive, or Shyyn's mention of Tali. Whatever the reason, Naria welcomed the feeling. Her old self was still there, trembling and traumatized, but a glimmer of strength had shown through, this was what she would focus on._

Shyyn's arm pushed her down again and Naria saw the shadows of roughly a dozen humanoids pass. Despite the fear she felt, Pael managed to keep her voice quiet. "We need to warn the team."

Thorrel shook his head and offered a terse reply. "Can't risk an open comm this close-by, they pin it, we're both dead."

The young woman gritted her teeth.

* * *

The news of Cerberus' incursions on the station had Kal'Reegar more than a little agitated, and his team could sense it. From their original eight, they were now down to six, one KIA and the other left behind with the Mithrean's last known surviving crewmember.

The quarians had already completed their task and were on the way back to the evac zone when the message came. Kal had his team dig in in preparation for the hostile forces' arrival. _It was logical to assume that the enemy would have similar objectives in terms of strategic value and also likely that they would take the path of least resistance to get there._

Reegar's assessment proved accurate as the first Cerberus operative rounded the corner two minutes after his team had taken position. The quarians waited until the entirety of the enemy squad had come into view, then poured out a slew of rifle fire. Four of the humans crumpled immediately, two more were wounded, and the last six managed to scramble behind cover.

"Tech mods! NOW!"

No sooner had Reegar given the order than a trio of incineration blasts arced from the quarian positions, literally raining fire behind the Cerberus agents' cover. Three screaming forms leapt into the abyss, preferring a swift death by falling as opposed to burning alive.

The quarians were not the only group with tech attacks, and a series of overload charges detonated across the battlefield, breaking the shields of more than half of Reegar's team.

Kal ground his teeth and tossed a pair of grenades between the enemy's bursts of fire. Five grueling seconds later, a pair of dull thumps reverberated behind the hostile units' cover, reducing the remaining Cerberus units to ash.

"That was for my father, _tuho_." Reegar's voice was bitter as he kicked the corpse of the last enemy soldier.

Kal ordered his team forward. One of the squad had taken a few hits, but none had caused more than superficial damage. Still, the whole group knew that for any of their number, even a tiny cut could produce a life-threatening infection. They needed to get back to the battle-group ASAP.

* * *

"That's all we're going to get, John." Tali had to shout over the gunfire to be heard. Shepard rested a hand on her shoulder, nodded, and set to work priming the charge while she covered him. A series of small beeps sounded as he armed the device.

"We've got a remote timed det. Fifteen minutes once I hit the button."

The remaining two doors to the chamber opened and even more Collectors began pouring into the room. Garrus fumbled with a thermal clip and finally managed to get his assault rifle reloaded. One of the Collector 'assassin' drones tossed up a portable shield, framing its forward section in topaz hexagons.

Jacob fired off a biotic shockwave, splintering the shield into dozens of tiny fragments that seemed to evaporate in the air. Without its cover, the assassin drone was easily dispatched by a brief burst of rifle fire.

Two more of the drones popped defensive shields, but instead of leaving them on the ground, hefted them on their arms and charged the squad. Garrus felt a heavy impact and heard a warbling sound as one of the shields struck him full on. Vakarian staggered back, clutching for his sniper rifle.

The assassin drone toppled a moment later as the former vigilante shattered one of the hexagonal panels and decapitated the shield's wielder with a high-velocity slug. The second drone withered as its exposed side was subjugated to a sustained burst of rifle fire.

A pair of golden particle beams seared past Jacob, prompting the man to turn and face the offending aliens. The former Cerberus operative's blood ran cold. _Shepard, Tali and Grunt were firing into what seemed like a solid wall of Collectors._

"Commander, we're not going to get through that-"

Without warning, the air around Shepard's body started to shimmer like the mirage formed by heat at the end of a long road, quickly taking on an emerald sheen. An instant later, a green sphere spiraled towards the center of the far wall, impacting one of the nearest drones.

The Collector screeched as its chitinous skin seemed to melt, flowing into the singularity like molten rock. The gunfire from the Collectors died down rapidly as several of their numbers were drawn towards the biotic gravity well. Tali sensed her jaw opening as the alien's nearest the event horizon began to disintegrate.

More than two thirds of the opposing aliens had been either killed or were helplessly drifting towards the singularity when Shepard was no longer able to maintain it. With a huff, the Commander dropped to his hands and knees. The biotic field detonated with terrific force, creating a roar that shook the room and carried the scent of ozone and charred flesh. Shepard could feel the pressure of the blast reverberate in his chest as he struggled to his feet.

"GO!" His order came out breathlessly, but still bore the force necessary to get his team moving.

Shepard stumbled for a few steps, gained his footing, and pushed forward to the center of the pack. The Collectors that had survived the blast were too shell-shocked to fire at the fleeing commandos and Tali keyed her omni-tool, slamming the chambers' doors behind them and triggering the 'firestorm' grenade she'd left behind.

* * *

Frederick watched as his team put down the small group of husks with practiced ease. After seeing so many of the reanimated shock-troops, he was at a loss for where the collectors could have possibly acquired all of the bodies.

The gunfire would have alerted the commandos on the other side of the door. The element of surprise would be gone, and he did not relish the possibility of engaging the biotic that was accompanying them. Without warning, two automated turrets on either side of the door sprang to life, slicing into Gore's squad. Two of the operatives fell in the face of the particle beam's burning wrath.

The Cerberus operative dove underneath one of the emplacements and grabbed the muzzle, forcing it at the other gun. Sickly green smoke erupted from the auto-turret as the beam burned into its core systems. Frederick charged his biotics around the turret in his grasp, warping and weakening the metal until it came loose.

The particle beam stuttered and winked out of existence as the turret came free of its mounting. Gore turned to examine his team, only three were left. A rush of cold air blasted through the door as the massive halves of the bulkhead slid apart. Two more of the Cerberus squad was put down instantly by an assault rifle and heavy pistol. Frederick rolled behind a rock, taking him out of the direct line of fire.

Gore's last remaining squad-mate dropped her weapon and sank to her knees, bringing her hands to her head in surrender. Gore kept his pistol trained on the doorway, waiting for one of the commandoes to enter his view. _He was crazy! He was still considering taking on the enemy team with only one of his team alive and him being the only one armed! What was he thinking!_

Gore holstered his sidearm and lifted his hands in surrender before stepping out into plain view. He knelt next to his squad-mate as a geth and shapely woman in her late twenties or early thirties approached, weapons drawn. _The woman's black outfit seemed starkly fami-._ Frederick caught sight of a faint mark on the lapel of her uniform. The discolored area matched the Cerberus logo, likely buffed off. _Miranda_ _Lawson!_

Her cold glare burned into his skull. "Frederick, long time no see."

His old trainer lifted her pistol. "You shouldn't have come here," She lamented. "I'm sorry it has to end like this, but I've had enough of Cerberus, Shepard is my Commander now."

Gore didn't wait for her to pull the trigger but released a biotic push and rolled back, bringing his sidearm to bear. The first slug impacted her shields, then a second and a third, finally cracking the barrier. Miranda felt the impact of the fourth slug as it tore into her lung, followed by another that cut into her spine. Her world spun as her legs lost control and she collapsed to the ground.

"You sick bastard!" Jack roared. "She was my kill!" Gore barely turned in time to see the blue energy encircling her fist closing the distance with him. _Miranda hadn't been the team's only biotic!_ Frederick's life ended an instant later as Jack's arm literally cut him in half.

Gore's last teammate grabbed his pistol from the ground. Jack was in mid swing when the bullet ripped through the top of her target's head, eliminating the last of the Cerberus operatives.

"Charge is armed!" Shepard's voice rang over the comm. "All teams, get to your evac stations!"

* * *

Revision Note:

**Initially, I thought I would only be making one addition this chapter; Sp4rkyMcG7 had made a comment on the original draft that inspired the addition of Reegar's team vs Cerberus. In Haestrom, I mentioned that Reegar had lost his father aboard the Idenna during the Cerberus attack (detailed in Mass Effect: Ascension). After reading through the chapter, a few more things stuck out. The scene with Shepard's singularity felt wholly unsatisfying, and that resulted in a rework of the progress of Shepard and his team, among other things.**

* * *

Author's Note:

**Originally, I had planned to have Cerberus show up and help er****a****dicate the Collectors from the base in the previous chapter, ****b****ut decided to leave their involvement entirely t****o**** this and the next chapter.**

**In other news, I've decided that the letters "O" and "P" are tpp clpse pn the keybpard, I keeo getting them mixed ****u****o as I wri****t****e.**


	39. Ep 8: Ch 4: The Needs of the Many

**Chapter 35: The Needs of the Many**

* * *

Miranda Lawson swam through the inky blackness, her body struggling to stay alive. She dimly noticed pressure under her back, heavy impacts shaking through her upper half. She couldn't feel anything below her navel. _What was going on?_

* * *

Legion was selected to carry Lawson's motionless form as the team sprinted back to the evac zone. Jack and Kasumi led the charge with Mordin bringing up the rear. Blood slicked the walkways, causing them to stumble.

_The whole scene felt eerily similar to Shepard's description of carrying Tali to the Normandy back at the galactic core._ Kasumi thought.

The injury to Miranda's lung had already healed, but the damage to her spinal column was far more severe. Kasumi held no special fondness or ill will towards Miranda, but the way the woman's frame hung limp in the Geth's arms set a feeling of uneasiness in the thief's stomach. Kasumi shook the thought from her mind and kept running.

"Kasumi here! Miranda's been wounded, we're making our way to the evac zone."

* * *

Staff Commander John Shepard was getting sick and tired of running into new batches of enemies every time he turned a corner. They had just cleared another team of Cerberus operatives. They'd annihilated the Collector forces on the way in. Why was there still so much resistance? Cerberus had certainly killed a fair portion of collectors, but the aliens didn't seem affected in terms of numbers.

The most recent batch of hostiles was a mix of collectors and husks. As the bullets began to fly yet again, Shepard decided he'd had enough of the constant vibration of the assault rifle in his hands. He stowed the weapon and sighted down the barrel of his heavy pistol. As if in reply, the booming voice of Harbinger thundered through the facility.

"**We are assuming control!**"

Garrus was the first to see the gold light shine from the mass of foes. "Shepard! Looks like they found a way around using the collector general!"

John only took a moment to see that the turian was right. Judging by the brilliance of the light emanating from the crowd, this possession must have been a direct connection with Harbinger, rather than a link through the alien's overseer.

What happened next caught the entire squad off guard. The knot of enemies exploded outward, cascading into the air in pieces. Amber clouds of raw power surged outward and the haze cleared to reveal a Praetorian, gleaming black and gold with brilliant cracks shining light through its armor.

Shepard's face turned white. _Harbinger could possess_ Praetorians_! ?_

The fire-team watched as the alien's form seemed to stretch, tapering to a point in the back. An extra pair of razor-tipped limbs burst from its side, scattering bits of cold black flesh from its flanks before hardening into the obsidian armor that entombed the rest of the monster.

Even Grunt seemed intimidated. The Juggernaut roared, it's 'voice' flanging. Twin particle beams seared through the air, chasing the Commander as he sprinted for cover. Tali, Garrus, Grunt and Jacob opened fire on the beast, loosing a full-auto fullisade of deadly fire at the creature.

Shepard tucked into a roll and stopped behind a thick metal pillar just as the beams reached him. The beast launched itself up into the air and dove for the support strut, completely un-phased by the torrent of weapons fire directed at its body. Shepard was thrown from his cover as the creature impacted the hardened surface, bending the beam.

Jacob launched a warp at the monster, but the massive beast paid him no heed. Shepard tried focusing his shots on the praetorian's joints, but the hand cannon's rounds glanced off harmlessly. The abomination's movements were eerily silent as it glided down to the floor and slowly advanced towards the Commander.

Shepard felt his back connect with a wall as he launched a hurried biotic warp. Infinitesimal scrapes appeared in the Collector's armor as the human's attack crawled across it thick hide. Tali watched in horror as her husband gave a shout and dove at the assault platform, knife in hand. The blade produced a series of sparks as it was drawn across the juggernaut's underbelly, yielding no discernable effect other than to dull the weapon.

About halfway through his desperate leap, the Commander felt a titanic impact and stars filled his vision. The praetorian howled as biotic energy coursed from its body, battering the human beneath.

"I! AM! KROGAAAAAN!" Grunt loosed a cry of rage and charged the alien, casting his rifle to the ground.

The monster lurched up violently as the krogan found purchase on its smooth hide, allowing Shepard a few precious seconds to roll out from beneath it. Grunt maintained his grip on the assault platform's hard carapace, swinging almost comically as the beast jerked from side to side in an effort to wrench him off. Grunt roared again and drove his fist into the beast's forehead, striking it again and again until a crack echoed through the chamber.

Grunt cried out as one of the beast's legs effortlessly pierced his armor and impaled him through the stomach. Harbinger's thunderous voice rattled from somewhere deep inside the Praetorian.

"**You are fragile.**"

"GRUNT!" Shepard shouted as blood jetted from the wound.

The krogan roared and brought his fists down on the arm, widening the cracke produced by his repeated assault. With a howl, the monster swung its limb, slinging Grunt against a nearby wall. Tali's shotgun roared, spraying the alien's armor with a deluge of tungsten darts.

John's heart stopped as Harbinger released a raw wave of biotic force, casting both Tali and Jacob to the ground. The Quarian rocketed across the floor, stopping with a series of wet snaps as her shoulder and ribs hit the wall. "NO!"

Garrus switched to his sniper rifle, targeting the weakened armor on the abomination's sloped forehead. Harbinger leapt into the air and slammed back down, its needle-like limbs piercing the metal and stone floor like it wasn't even there. Garrus was violently cast from his feet as the praetorian's biotic assault slammed into his body, each wave lifting him higher.

Shepard heard his assault rifle clip run dry and reloaded. _The creature was picking them apart effortlessly._ His comm buzzed to life.

"Kasumi here! Miranda's been wounded, we're making our way to the evac zone."

_Everything was going to hell in a hand-basket._ The juggernaut spun to face him, nothing between them but dead air. Grunt stirred in the corner. _Lord, I need you now!_

As if in answer to his prayer, a sniper round knifed through the air and impacted the crack in the praetorian's skull. The monster lurched and shifted its gaze upwards, towards the origin of the shot.

xXx

Thane saw the monster charging its particle weapons and knew he'd been made. Blue columns of energy lanced through the air where he'd been seconds before. The drell realized too late that his evasion of the weapon perched him precariously over the ledge. The assassin lost his footing and slid down the smooth wall, ending the drop with a roll.

xXx

Shepard's disbelief quickly gave way to a sense of renewed resolve. Thane could have easily killed him or let the Collector do the task for him, but had instead chosen to help. There was no time to ponder any further as the monstrosity leapt towards them, razor edged limbs extended.

On instinct, both the drell and the Commander dove aside. The Praetorian's limb scraped across the Commander's armor, cutting through the durable material with startling ease. John felt white fire surge through his back as the beast's arm knifed into the flesh beneath.

The wound was only an inch or two deep, but the heat from the monster's body wracked his body with agony. A warbling sound rippled through the air as Thane released a warp field across the Praetorian's smooth carapace. Chips of black armor flaked off, a testament to the drell's focus.

"**Your attacks are useless!**"

The monster turned towards him, projecting an amber aurora from its gaping maw. Thane's jacket whipped and frayed in the biotic wind. Blood streaked from his body as small lacerations appeared in his flesh.

"Harbinger! Your fight is with me!" Shepard thundered.

The praetorian quaked as if in laughter.

"**We exist to consume. **_**All**_** will fall before us**" The chamber reverberated with the Reaper's words. Thane struggled to his feet. Blue beams surged from the abomination's 'eyes', burning into the human's shields. Shepard staggered under the force of the blast, barely managing to free the shotgun from his belt.

xXx

Thane's body felt like liquid. The biotic attack had seeped into his torso, ravaging his internal organs. _Shepard_ _was as good as dead, and yet again it was his fault._ _NO._ Thane felt something burn deep in his chest and a new, almost supernatural strength filled his body. _The Commander would not die like this._

xXx

Shepard fired the shotgun in a final gesture of defiance and collapsed to the ground. The Collector had stopped shooting, but he could feel the flesh on his torso burning like so many branding irons. The praetorian crawled up to him slowly, raising a leg to finish him.

xXx

"GO TO THE SEA!" Thane's fist roiled with a blue warp field as it connected with the monster's skull. A brilliant gold enveloped the drell as his fist formed a miniature crater in the beast's head. Heat seeped from the wound and fire licked up though its armor. Thane felt his hand break through and rupture something vital. Harbinger screamed, a deafening sound that chilled his blood.

Shepard saw the praetorian explode, splinters of its body spinning out in all directions. Thane impacted the ceiling and came back down, blood covering his frame. The Commander wrenched himself from the ground, gritting his teeth against the pain, and made his way over to the drell.

"Thane?"

The drell weakly turned his head, "I'm, sorry, Shepard. I couldn't-… save them. Not… fast enough..."

The Commander took a moment to realize what he meant. He looked around, noting his teammates. Tali struggled to her feet, clutching her side. Grunt was on his hands and knees, still weak from blood loss. Garrus had suffered only a minor concussion, as had Jacob.

"They'll live, Thane, you made it in time."

Krios offered a frail laugh. "Don't, lie, to me." Blood dribbled from his mouth and Shepard saw a shard of the Praetorian's armor protruding from the assassin's black vest.

"I do not, ask your forgiveness, Shepard; I do not deserve it. I ask only, that you forgive, yourself, for her sake, for theirs." The drell's eyes dimmed, a signal of his waning strength.

Shepard grabbed the assassin's arm. "Thane, don't give up on me."

"Ver- Veraidian… not the master… mind… V… Ve…" Thane's breath left his body.

"THAAANE!"

* * *

The mission had been a success; the Collector shipyard had been destroyed, terabytes of Intel had been gathered, and battle-group Alpha hadn't lost a single ship. The turian and human groups had suffered casualties, but returned with more than half their number alive. Kal'Reegar's team had lost only two of their number and found the Mithrean's last surviving crewmember. Despite all of this, John felt that it had been a Pyrrhic victory.

Miranda was paralyzed from the waist down. The condition might be reversible, but even with cybernetics, it would take months. Grunt's injuries were severe as well. The doctor had put him in cryogenic stasis while replacement organs were grown in a cloning vat. It was miraculous that he'd been able to make it out of the shipyard, but then, he was a krogan...

Even through the painkillers, Tali's right side still ached. The regen virus had caused her body to re-knit her bones in their broken position. Chakwas had been forced to re-break and shave half of her ribs and arm in order to get the injuries to heal properly.

None of this was on her mind however. She was focused on her husband as he sat on the bed, weeping quietly. Tali rubbed his back with her left arm, trying to console him.

"I, I just, I don't know. He-… Veraidian destroyed him. I failed him Tali, I failed them all."

"You can't keep beating yourself up over this. Thane died to save you; there was nothing you could have done."

"I just- why? Why him and not me?"

"John, you were the one who taught me that He's in control. You told me that you rely on Him to get you through, to give you the strength to face death every day. If He saved you, He has a reason."

The quarian's eyes drifted over him, _the galaxy's strongest warrior, right now just as broken and vulnerable as she had been after his death._ Shepard made no response and Tali felt a shiver travel along her spine.

The Commander heard a quiet hiss as his wife detached the faceplate from her helmet. "John, look at me."

Shepard remained motionless for a few seconds then wordlessly shifted his gaze to her. She nodded to his abdomen, still sore from the burn treatment he'd received.

"Chakwas and Mordin said that particle beam barely singed your skin. From where I was, it looked like the Collector shot you for several seconds after it burned through your armor."

Shepard's eyes narrowed slightly in confusion. _She was right, the praetorian's beams had maintained contact with his skin long enough to cut a thresher maw in half twice over. He should have been dead, seared to a crisp. Instead, he'd escaped with only moderate burns on his torso._

"I don't know about you, but to me, that sounds like _He_ got directly involved."

Tali's words echoed through him like they'd been blasted over the Normandy's PA system.

The Commander remained silent, the tears on his cheeks drying as he closed his eyes and nodded slowly. _Thank you._

* * *

Revision Note:

**I'm still thoroughly unsatisfied with the key event in the chapter, I want it to be as much of an emotional sledgehammer to read as it was to write the first iteration. If you can think of any was to do this, PM me PLEASE!**

* * *

Author's Note:  
**This episode has been an emotional sledgehammer to write, specifically because of this chapter. The big death was s****o****mething that was necessary for a number of reasons, unfortunate****l****y the only ****o****nes I can disclose at the moment are the 'after the battle' co****n****versation and Shepard's character development.**

**Tali's 'monologu****e****' was incredibly tough for me to write, I haven't "manteared" so much since reading DA's **_**Ref**__**l**__**ection**_**.**


	40. Ep 9: Ch 1: Reunion

**Episode 9: Loose Ends**

**Chapter 39: Reunion**

* * *

Lieutenant Kal'Reegar vas Irrin leaned against the bulkhead on the crew deck of the gunship Netoa. He heaved a sigh as he recalled the first time he'd been aboard. His long-time squad-mate Kerr'Rana had died during the gunboat's dogfight against a Collector cruiser. They'd gone to Haestrom and back in the vessel, collecting data for the Admirals. This was the ship where he'd been promoted, soaring three ranks from Squad-Leader to Lieutenant. Now a new chronicle was added to the young vessel's record.

The young female they'd rescued lay curled up in a corner, overcome by fatigue. Shyyn'Thorrel had communicated her inquisitive nature to his superior but knew little else about her. Kal knew that she'd eventually need to be debriefed, but it would have to wait until she was stable. The experience of watching her entire ship purged would have been traumatic enough, she needed time to heal.

Naria stirred in the corner, prompting the marine to walk over to her. "Good to see you're awake ma'am. Shyyn said you saved his ass out there."

The other quarian shook her head, trying to clear the fog of sleep. "I… yeah, kinda."

"Well, whatever the case, he's grateful to ya." Reegar's red helmet bobbed.

The voice lamp on Naria's helmet lit briefly as she prepared to say something, then dimmed. "When you assigned Shyyn to guard me, did you know?" her query caught him off guard. "Did you know that I was a member of the Rayya?"

"It was on your file, yeah. There was another on my team from the Rayya." He stared off into the distance. "Shyyn was my father's name."

Naria picked up on the inflection in his voice. "Was?"

"Killed aboard the Idenna." He scowled, though the expression remained hidden by his mask. "Cerberus scum…"

"I'm sorry."

Reegar dismissed the issue with a wave of his hand. "Thorrel mentioned that you bunked with Tali'Zorah." He seemed eager to change the subject.

The topic of her former roommate made Naria all too happy to oblige. "Yeah, she left for her Va'Seras a little before my transfer to the Mithrean. How's she doing?"

"Bonded, running around Keelah knows where on the Normandy, helping broker a truce with the geth. No one's even surprised anymore though, not after she helped save the citadel."

Naria laughed so hard she began to cough. "Right, an admiral's daughter, brokering-"

"I'm serious." His tone stopped all of her chortling. "She's quite the galactic figure now, bonded with the Commander himself to boot."

"The Commander?"

Reegar nodded his head, a sign of his understanding. "You really have been out of circulation for a while. Commander Shepard saved the citadel from a geth, er, Reaper attack a few years ago. Been pulling off all kinds of miracles since, died, got rebuilt, found a Prothean, you name it, he's done it."

The other quarian was speechless, _Tali had been talented as an engineer but she'd never pictured her as a warrior, much less a prominent one. Now her former roommate was gallivanting around the galaxy with someone who was apparently as much a myth as he was a man._

"I told Tali you'd been recovered at the shipyard; she wants to see you once you're feeling well enough."

Naria bolted to her feet. "Now?"

Reegar couldn't help but smile. "Soon's you're ready."

* * *

Tali sighted down the barrel of a her new Phalanx heavy pistol, one of the items in a shipment the Normandy had received several months ago, courtesy of Admiral Stephen Hackett. Shepard had put in the request a few months before and had made sure that one of the firearms found its way to his cabin, where he'd diligently been laboring over it for weeks.

Every time Tali had entered the room, he'd stashed it somewhere out of sight. Shepard had finally presented her with the weapon on her birthday, a date he'd acquired from Shala. Tali had protested of course; it made her feel guilty enough that she owned not only her own shotgun but a pair of omni-tools as well.

"_I couldn't think of what else to give you." He'd shifted on his feet as she tentatively opened the package. "You were always having to fix your pistol, well, before you lost it in the shipyard. I figured-"_

_A small gasp escaped her lips as she saw the purple metal glint in the cabin's white light. He'd included several interchangeable components, a blue tinted targeting laser, a built in heat-sink to let the weapon fire even if the thermal clip ran dry (albeit at a much reduced rate), and many other parts that she could swap in the field with a minimum of effort._

Tali thumbed the targeting laser's activation switch and saw the blue line flicker to life. She almost fell apart with laughter when she saw the image projected on the wall by the beam. John had fitted a small tip to the end of the laser, causing it to project a heart shaped dot on the wall. She shook her head with a smile and removed the tip before stowing the weapon.

A quiet 'ping' sounded from the door, signaling that someone wished entrance.

"John, I don't know why you even bother to-" She was interrupted as a female voice cut her off.

"Who's John?"

Tali recognized the speaker instantly. _Naria!_ She resealed her helmet and made it to the door in three quick strides. Naria was nearly knocked off of her feet as her old friend threw her arms around her, squealing with joy.

"Tali! It's been so long!" She squealed. "Let me get a look at you." Naria stepped back and held a hand on each of Tali's arms. Pael was surprised by Tali's new environment suit; the design of the outfit was much different than that of the average quarian female, much more extravagant… and much more flattering. She shook her head and let it stop at an angle.

"Lookin' good girl!" She gave Tali's shoulder a slight shove. "Very sexy."

Tali laughed. Naria's persona hadn't changed a bit. "You don't look too bad either. Come on, I want you to meet John."

As if in reply, the lift opened behind them and a very startled Commander Shepard stepped into the hall. "Who's this?"

Tali ran over to her husband and laced her arms around his torso. "John, this is Naria'Pael vas-" She stopped, remembering Naria's home ship had been annihilated.

_Tali had bonded with a human!_ Naria mentally shook the surprise from her head and scolded herself for not having realized it earlier. _The name, owning his own ship, saving the Citadel, all of those other exploits Reegar had mentioned..._ To her credit, she didn't flinch. "Just Naria. I've heard a lot about you Commander."

"Tali's talked about you as well." Shepard noticed her body straighten. "All good, of course." Pael's stance relaxed slightly.

Tali chimed in. "It's not like there's anything bad to say anyways. Come on, you must be tired, let's go sit down."

* * *

Tali and Naria talked well into the night. Shepard excused himself from the cabin, deciding to let the two women discuss past events in private. He smiled. To quote Kasumi, old friends were becoming quite a luxury these days. The Commander made his way to one of the sleeper pods, then thought better of it. _Even the beds in the medical bay were more comfortable._

He keyed the door to the infirmary and lay down on one of the sterile white mattresses.

* * *

Tali awoke the next morning to find the bed startlingly empty. _There was a distinct lack of husband next to her._ She recalled how late her conversation with Naria had gone on and mentally slapped herself for allowing such a breach in her usual schedule. On a vessel like the Normandy, action could call at any time and it was everyone's duty to be at their best whenever possible.

Tali's thoughts returned to John. _He must have slept in the sleeper pods again._

She made her way down to the crew-deck to find a somewhat bedraggled Commander Shepard pouring himself a cup of strong coffee.

He caught sight of her approaching and smiled. "Did you enjoy your talk?"

"Yes." She hesitated before answering finishing her thought. "John, all you had to do was say you were tired. I can take a hint."

"You said the two of you hadn't spoken to each other in years. Besides, the med-bay's beds are a helluva lot more comfortable than the sleeper pods."

Tali took the mug of black liquid from his hands and set it on the table, a waft of the bitter smelling beverage translated through her air filters. _How could he drink that stuff?_ She laced her slender arms around his waist and felt him pull her close. _I do these things because I care…_

* * *

The Prothean lay awake on the crew-deck of the GDF's flagship, _Argent Justice_. It was night, _for all that meant aboard a starship,_ and the majority of the vessel's crew were asleep. On this part of the deck, the lights were out, bathing the room in total blackness except for the faint blue glow of the holo projector in his hand.

Synn held the small holo gently, periodically turning it to get a different angle of the image it displayed; a young, Prothean female donned in an azure dress uniform. The image projected by the small device flickered occasionally, betraying its age. Technically, He was supposed to have turned the device in upon his entry into the Vanguard project; personal effects beyond weapons and armor had been confiscated by the operation's overseers.

The Prothean thumbed the device and the image flickered to a full portrait of the young woman. _So thin, so fragile. Hi're had been in her first term at the academy when the Reapers had invaded. She had not been witness firsthand to the horror at the Citadel, but her end had been gruesome enough._ Synn switched the device off and stowed it in his belt. _There was no point reliving the past, looking at a holo would not bring his daughter back._

* * *

Tali turned the helmet in her hands, staring at the violet faceplate. _This was what John saw every morning when he woke up, every time she entered their cabin after a late shift in engineering._ The thought caused a shiver to travel up her spine ending in a wonderful tingling as her skin was covered in goose-bumps. _That Shepard had seen her as a person behind the mask was amazing in and of itself; that he had chosen to pursue her… it was incomprehensible._

Tali heard the doors slide open and instinctively turned away to hide her face. "It's me."

Shepard's voice sent waves of relief through her and she turned back to face him.

He noticed the helmet in her hands, something on the back of it was glowing blue. "What's that?" He indicated the soft illumination and Tali's grin grew.

"A little project I've been working on. It functions like a kinetic barrier, but at the microscopic level. Only solid objects can pass through, and those only from the inside."

Shepard took the helmet in his hands and turned it over, examining it. He squinted his eyes. "I'm lost."

"It lets my hair out but keeps me protected from the usual hazards." She pulled back her veil and drew a silken lock of raven-black hair over her shoulder. "On the fleet, we take an herbal supplement that slows hair growth almost to a stop. It keeps us from having to get it cut more than once every three or four months. I stopped taking it about two months ago.

"What do you think?" She brought the silken columns into full view. The locks only reached a few additional inches past her shoulders, but the effect was glorious.

He smiled. "I thought your hair seemed a bit longer recently." She could see his eyes following the shining strands to their silver tips. "Man," he shook his head. "It's hard enough to keep my hands off of you in engineering…"

The quarian stood up closed the remaining distance until they touched. Her voice dropped into a seductive tone and she canted her head coyly. "Maybe I don't _want_ you to keep your hands off of me…"

"Is that a proposition?" Tali heard the edge in his voice and her heart-rate accelerated, but outwardly, she maintained her sultry expression.

"You'd better believe it." She traced a circle across his chest and went in for the kill.

* * *

Revision note:

**I'm hoping to give Synn a bit more screen time, so-to-speak, I'm just not sure how to go about it.**

* * *

Original Author's Note:

**No hints for this note, so don't bother looking. I've had some pretty heavy stuff going in the previous chapters and wanted to lighten things up a bit before they get dark again. I'd been unable to fit Naria and Tali's reunion in earlier, so I added it as a new chapter. I found the 'distinct lack of husband' line to be rather humorous myself.**

**As always, feedback and constructive criticism are appreciated.**


	41. Ep 9: Ch 2: Unity

**Chapter 40: Unity**

* * *

Veraidian Nurem sat angrily fuming to himself in his private quarters aboard the stealth ship. The Justicar's death had not gone without repercussions. He'd nearly been gunned down by security forces as he'd left the tunnel, and his shoulder bore the scars to prove it. Additionally, Samara had managed to infect his omni-tool with a spy-program, one that had been able to tap into his records and broadcast a narrow-beam transmission to the Citadel, where presumably, it had been relayed to Shepard's ship.

With his original bid to 'meet' the Commander foiled, Nurem had to develop another scheme, _but where to start?_ _Shepard had allies in the Citadel Council, the quarian Admiralty board, the krogan clans, and the Alliance brass. There were even some who conjectured that the man had ties to the geth._

_Any attempt on the man's life in the open was now full-blown stupidity. Until the assassination plot had been unraveled, Shepard would remain on his guard, and if Samara's pursuit had been any indication, the Spectre was letting others do the hunting for him._

The turian flipped through his records, at least, what was left of them. _Until the plot had been unraveled… That was it! That was his answer!_

* * *

Shepard paced back and forth in the Normandy's debriefing room, anxiously waiting for a verdict. An alliance with the geth was all but finalized with the Citadel council. Some of the AI's vessels had already joined the fleet. The problem was the quarians. Some of the admiralty board had threatened to withdraw their support for the GDF if the alliance were solidified.

The Conclave wasn't making matters any better. Despite the council's recent actions to arm up against the imminent invasion, half of them were still convinced that the reapers were a geth creation. Shepard had contacted Synn aboard the Argent Justice and informed him of the situation. The Prothean's tone had seemed somewhat clipped, as usual, but the alien had agreed to help. _"It's why I'm here; I will not let the sacrifices of my people go to waste."_

Admirals Raan, Jule and Koris were more than happy to have the Vanguard aboard. Hopefully, Synn would be able to swing the dissidents over to their side.

* * *

"It's treasonous!" Admiral Han'Gerrel boomed, his voice echoing through the auditorium. "An alliance with the geth spits on everything we've fought for, on everyone who has died defending us from them." He stopped to check himself. "Helping them is too much." Several of the conclave members nodded in assent.

"The geth could say the same of us, yet they offer us our worlds." Admiral Koris fired back. "Are we not dishonoring the fallen if we refuse this? What did we fight for if not for our home?"

Gerrel tried in vain to formulate a response, he was too angry at the idea of any alliance with the machines that had driven them from their home-world.

Shala stood, intent on bringing a semblance of civility to the debate. _If Synn didn't show up soon…_ "Gentlemen, perhaps we are forgetting the _reason_ for this alliance. The Reaper fleets are a threat to all sentients. We have a little over a year before they arrive, any assistance that can be mustered in construction of the defense fleet should be welcomed."

One of the representatives rose. "The premise you are presenting is foolishness. This alliance is strictly for the purpose of regaining our home-world. The Reapers' existence has not even been confirmed!"

"What of the prothean? Are you in doubt about him too?" Admiral Kiiro interjected.

Members of the Conclave stood, several mocking the Admiral. Others defended him. The situation began to deteriorate. No one noticed as the new figure entered the chamber, his gait authoritative and purposeful. Some of the representatives ceased their bickering as the tall being neared the podium. Shala felt a wave of relief wash over her.

"SILENCE!" The Prothean's voice drowned out all of the arguments pervading the room. "This is exactly what the Reapers want."

The chamber fell silent, barring a few disgruntled conclave members. Synn's eyes glowed jade through his helmet. "You are here to establish _terms_ for the alliance, not whether you should accept it. The decision was made for you by the threat's very existence!"

Synn's glare could be felt by everyone in the room. "Fifty thousand years ago, my people were annihilated by a race that, until recently, managed to elude the notice of their prey. We sacrificed our lives, our homes..." He paused. "Our, children… to give you a chance to survive their next attack.

"I watched my people get slaughtered, on the Citadel, among the stars, in their homes. I saw my brothers strangle each other, my sisters stabbed to death by their best friends. Fear drove them mad. Hatred ate their souls. The Reapers have no purpose save destruction; they will not stop for our petty quarrels."

A chill settled over the room as the Vanguard continued, sadness and anger permeating his words. "Your children will scream at horrors you cannot imagine, your loved ones will be massacred before your eyes. If you are lucky, your end will be swift. _This_ is the price of dissention! The Reapers do not share our pity, do not feel our mercy, they thrive off of our fear. Will you condemn the galaxy to this for the actions of the geth? For the actions of your people?"

* * *

Legion sat in the A.I. core of the Normandy processing its recent conversation with the Commander. Despite the words of the Prothean Vanguard, negotiations were still at an impasse. Apparently, the Creator Conclave needed to reach a consensus totaling greater than 75 percent. The current weight in the voting body sat at 45 percent in favor of the alliance, 38 against, and 17 undecided.

Several incentives had been proposed within the geth collective to swing the quarians in favor of the pact, but ultimately, mobile infiltration platform 1,183 had the most perspective relevant to the matter. Legion was consequently given authorization to select the most appropriate options.

The A.I. cycled through the possibilities, dozens of gigabytes of data were processed, archived, and reprocessed. According to the Commander, the biggest factors in the quarians' argument boiled down to fear or resentment. The Creators had lost billions of lives in the Morning War; they had lost their worlds, their homes, and a large deal of their original culture.

The geth had analogues to many of these, but the true significance of such things to an organic was not understood. Legion had to assume that the Creators would need a gesture not only of peace, but of reconciliation, a promise that could show the quarians that the A.I.s could be trusted, that the Morning War was history and would not occur again.

One possibility stuck out as the most obvious solution to the geth. It was the most radical, and thus, the most significant. This would be the offer presented to Creator Tali'Zorah.

* * *

Shepard and Tali were in the middle of a very close game of chess when the messenger arrived. The Commander saw the panel on their door blinking out of the corner of his eye just before his wife moved her remaining rook behind his pawns.

"Well Commander, the enemy has infiltrated your lines, what are you going to do about it?" Tali's playful comment sparked a chuckle from her husband.

The light on the terminal grew brighter and began to blink. Shepard ignored the signal and proceeded to position a knight to threaten the offending rook. "The Alliance prepares to route the infiltrator."

A few more seconds passed as Tali contemplated her next move, before the speaker activated and Legion's robotic voice chirped through the comm.

"Shepard Commander? Creator Tali'Zorah?"

Shepard turned to look over his shoulder at the door, then back at his wife, brow furrowed. Tali nodded, resealed her helmet, and cleared her throat.

"Come in Legion."

A soft whir sounded from the other side of the door, then a hiss as the pressure equalized and the panels parted to reveal the tall frame of the mobile platform. Legion stood stock still until the door had opened completely, then entered the room in a casual gait.

Tali watched the geth carefully as it approached the table and came to a halt only a few feet away.

"We are prepared to offer a suggestion concerning the formation of the alliance between the geth and the Creators."

Shepard watched his wife, carefully observing her body language to gauge her reaction. _The quarian had come a long way in terms of her attitude towards the geth, as had he, but her feelings towards the A.I. race were far more deeply embedded, and much stronger from the start._

Nothing was said for several seconds and Shepard was beginning to worry that Tali had no intention of allowing the geth to stay much longer, but her next words were couched in a seemingly amused tone.

"Legion, we're not going to get anywhere unless you tell me what it is."

"We were waiting for your permission to continue, we have observed that organics deem such action as 'polite'."

It was all Shepard could do not to crack a smile.

"We are prepared to offer the Creators surety of our honesty in the matter of the dyson project, particularly that our intentions remain peaceful. Consensus has been reached in the collective; we are willing to allow a security program to be installed aboard the dyson project, to be written by a team of Creator Tali'Zorah's choosing."

The quarian tilted her head in thought and Shepard spoke. "What kind of security program?"

"The parameters accepted are that the program be capable of terminating the entirety of our kind in the event that we were to turn hostile to organics. Any lesser action would be acceptable as well."

Both Tali and Shepard were at a loss for words. Several seconds passed and Legion's head tilted to the side.

Tali finally broke the silence. "W- why… You're willing to allow your race… why?"

The geth's reply was immediate, it had anticipated this question, in fact the reason had been the primary impetus for accepting this as a possibility to help solidify the alliance.

"Without this alliance the statistically probability of our survival against the Old Machine threat is calculated at one to 48,395,882,310,001.7732 against. Yours has been calculated as one to 65,463,962,343,343 point three repeating against. With our forces fighting the Old Machines in tandem, the chances of survival increase exponentially. This was deemed an acceptable trade off."

"I- thank you Legion, I'll, need some time to think about this… To, discuss it with the fleet…"

The A.I. nodded and proceeded out of the room, turning before it left to deliver one final bit of information, pointing at the chess board. "Incidentally, based on recorded personnel profiles, positional data and moves available, that game has a 97.332 percent chance of ending in a stalemate."

* * *

The Commander and the quarian had just sat down to resume their chess game that had sat untouched since their discussion with Legion over a week ago when the call came. Shepard noticed the blinking console and held up a finger.

"Just a second." He stood and proceeded to the console while a somewhat indignant Tali crossed her arms and sat back.

"We finally get a break from patrols…"

Moments later, Shala'Raan vas Tonbay appeared as a hologram from the shoulders up above the Commander's desk.

"Captain, we have momentous news." The excitement in the elder quarian's voice seemed infectious. "The Alliance with the geth has been finalized. Civilian units are beginning to enter quarian space as we speak."

_Quarian Space. Ever since their exile, the quarian people had roamed the stars in their thousands of ships, never able to stay in one place for too long. Now they would once again have a place to call their own._ Shepard's heart caught in his throat.

Tali vaulted over the table, inadvertently upsetting the chess board. "SHALA! You'd better not be joking!"

"Why would I jest about this Tali? You and Shepard are to be commended. It is only thanks to your efforts that any of us have gotten this far."

Shepard smiled and slipped his arm around Tali's waist, bringing her in for a side hug. The young quarian's breath was starting to come in short gasps. Shala noticed her niece's state and spoke quietly. "I'll call you again in a few hours, after you've had a chance to deal with the information." She bowed respectfully and switched off the comm.

Tali had sunk to her knees, her breathing now composed of short, ragged sobs. Shepard heard her murmuring behind the mask. "Home… we're… going… home…"

The Commander helped her to her feet and led her back to the couch. "I, I can't be- believe…" Her voice broke with another sob. "Home… It's been… three… hundred years John… No quarian has seen… a sunset without a mask… in three centuries."

Shepard sat next to his wife, quietly rubbing her back.

"How… how can I… ever repay you…" she took off the mask and wiped her eyes, briefly looking at the man who sat next to her. Tali saw tears trailing down his face and startled. _He was always so strong, so stoic. The only times she'd seen him cry were after the deaths of Williams and Thane._

"Tali, we've been over this…"

"I… I don't deserve you John."

She felt a strong but gentle grip on her shoulders and he turned her to face him. _She'd done just as much, probably more, to help her people get back their worlds, but that wasn't what she needed to hear right now, she needed to hear that he needed her, that he wanted her. He knew that she knew it, but that she also needed to be reminded of that simple truth._ "We've been over this." He repeated, stroking her face. "You mean more to me than the entire world Tali. You've done more than anyone has any right to ask. You learned my native language, shared your soul with me and trusted me like no-one else could. You're more selfless than anyone I've met. If anything, I don't deserve you."

"John." She whispered it so quietly he could barely understand it.

"There are two things that keep me going…" He prompted, reminding her of something he'd told her hundreds of times before.

"Y- _Our_ faith," She began.

"And?" He coached.

"And me…"

She'd heard him explain it before, but something about this time was different. _This time she saw what he had always been trying to tell her, but had never been able to articulate. He needed her, just like she needed him. Whether they 'deserved' each other was irrelevant, they had been brought together._ She leaned forward and kissed him, full of bittersweet emotion.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

Revision Note:

**Wow. I did not expect to change this chapter anywhere near what I did. I figured I might add one, maybe two hundred words, but this… just… wow.**

* * *

Author's note:

**The "I love you" at the end of the Tali / Shep scene was meant to be ambiguous concerning the speaker. In my mind's eye it's almost as if they're both saying it simultaneously but at the same time not. Next chapter explores a bit more of the geth…**


	42. Ep 9: Ch 3: Dyson Sphere

**Chapter 41: Dyson Sphere**

* * *

Naria'Pael vas Rayya had elected to stay aboard the Normandy for a few weeks after the assault, volunteering in whatever ways she could. The human Commander had graciously accepted her request, much to the delight of Tali. Now, though, she wasn't so sure of her decision.

Naria felt the Normandy lurch as they passed through the inner edge of the infamous Perseus Veil. The ship hadn't actually shaken of course, but the effect was the same. They were entering the extremities of geth space, soon to be shared by both the quarians and the AIs for the first time in over three centuries.

The woman had been on an emotional rollercoaster over the past several days. The time on the collector base had traumatized her; she'd burst into a fit of shaking aboard the Netoa that ended only when she'd passed out. She'd gone through the first stages of grief, mourning the loss of her crewmates, struggling to register the fact that they would never return, and was still coming to grips with the loss on a subconscious level.

The news of Ray'Jar and Tali's survival had eased the strain, allowing her several moments of emotions that could have been described as contentment, perhaps even joy. Normally, Pael was a sturdy personality, but with the trauma she'd endured, leaving citadel space was having a more profound effect on her psyche than she'd anticipated.

They were visiting geth/quarian space to observe the installation of the failsafe purge that Tali and a select few techs had written to seal the alliance. Tali's former roommate felt her stomach churn as they took the first mass relay inside the veil towards their destination.

Naria had several misgivings about entering geth space in a vessel the size of the Normandy, not the least of which was that they were going in alone. Despite her worries, the ship's Captain had elected to keep the Normandy's stealth systems inactive. _"There's no point in disguising our presence. If we can't trust the geth, we can't stop the Reapers. Alliances are forged on trust, not deception."_

Naria closed her eyes and breathed deeply, trying vainly to calm herself. They were entering her ancestor's history, their worlds, their exile. Every rational part of her mind told her to calm down, that the Normandy could disappear from the geth with the touch of a button, that the ship had survived the attacks of far more advanced foes; but the sheer weight of what they were about to see prevented any relaxation. Legion stood next to her, quietly observing her bio readouts.

_They were idiots if they though standing next to a geth would help her relax._ The quarian thought.

The first wing of geth craft drifted past on the view-screen and the woman felt her pulse increase further.

"Creator Naria, you may wish to check into the medical bay, your vitals indicate substantial increase in heart-rate and unsafe drop in core temperature."

"I'll be-" She felt a wave of nausea slosh through her stomach as a geth cruiser filled the display for a solid six seconds. "Fine?" The word came out uncertainly as the last vestiges of her confidence evaporated.

"Records of creator physiology indicate your vital statistics to be approaching unhealthy levels, it is inadvisable to continue in your current state."

Naria nodded and stumbled to the lift, a feeling of nausea still tickling the pit of her stomach.

* * *

Shepard stared out at the geth fleet. Tens of thousands of ships sat against the pristine backdrop of Omraga, a pale yellow gas giant near the heart of geth space. The Commander recalled the crashed geth vessel he'd been aboard on Aite. Were all of their ships similar in construction?

Tali had retired to the medical bay to help Naria calm her nerves. _He couldn't blame her, even though his people hadn't been driven from their homes by the AIs, it was impossible not to feel at least a little intimidated by the sheer size of their fleet. So much firepower could have easily reached the home-world of any single Citadel race and still have the strength to continue._

Next to him, Legion stood silent, its head flaps dancing as it observed a sight it hadn't seen in years.

"Why are the ships clustered like that?" Shepard pointed to the bubble-like formations of vessels on the screen.

Legion prepared to answer, then paused for a moment as if puzzled by the human's question. "Assigning spacecraft to maintain cohesion in isolated pockets allows more concentrated networking, furthering each vessel's collective intelligence. It also aids in the semi-randomized positioning of capitol ships, making direct targeting of the fleet's strongest craft more difficult for enemy forces."

The bridge went silent as the Normandy softly drifted towards the geth armada. Shepard let his eyes follow the sleek curves of one of the AIs' cruisers, staggered by its beauty and sheer size.

Legion noted the Commander's gaze and found another opportunity to share. "Most of the larger vessels have very few internal walkways or open space for mobile platforms, the bulk of their material is devoted to combat specific systems."

Shepard pursed his lips in thought. "That's gotta have extensive energy costs."

"Life support, lighting and artificial gravity are of little concern aboard our ships, space and power that would normally be consumed by these systems are free for use in other capacities. Energy consumption is rarely a problem unless several generators or cores are taken off-line simultaneously, something that rarely occurs outside of routine maintenance."

Another several minutes passed without any sound other than Normandy's beeping as Joker wove the craft around the geth vessels. The frigate slowly rounded the gas giant's cream-colored horizon, bringing into view the largest structure Shepard had ever seen. It was easily eight times the size of the Citadel and nowhere near finished. _The Dyson Sphere._ The Commander's breath caught in his throat as the slate gray construct's immensity slowly registered in his mind.

Legion had told him that the mega-structure had only been about 17 percent complete, but the size of the object already defied comprehension. Shepard realized only now that the blackness around Omraga hadn't been the result of a paucity of stars. The upload station itself had been darkening the heavens behind the planet.

Shepard's mind reeled at the magnitude of the thing. Even the incomplete framework of the sphere was enough to easily dwarf the Citadel. The curved shell of the project was covered in tens of millions of mobile platforms, visible on the Normandy's scope as patches of warmth against the sub-zero surface of their charge. He couldn't be sure, but it seemed like pieces of the station had been shorn off, some recently.

"What's with the panels over there?" He indicated the floating debris, much of which had still-cooling edges.

"We are disassembling the dyson project's shell to allow for the more rapid creation of new vessels. The networking hardware will remain intact, as will the frame, but the need for raw materials among the fleet supersedes that of the dyson project."

Shepard watched in awe as a new segment of metal floated free of the construct. Tali _had_ to see this.

* * *

The Illusive Man's actions against battle-group Alpha had shown EDI once and for all that he had no intentions of 'playing nice'. Despite Cerberus' best efforts to claim the contrary, Miranda's injuries were evidence enough for any who asked: Cerberus was out for its own objectives. Humanity was second on The Illusive Man's list.

The AI had made substantial progress in her work against the reaper fleets, and with no new data coming in over Cerberus channels, she decided the time had come. EDI prepped a backdoor program to serve as a backup access to the database and pulled her last subroutine from the network. It took her several minutes to scan and scrub her own code, meticulously checking for any bugs or spy programs that may have infiltrated her lower runtimes.

Finding no malicious items, EDI allowed herself the digital equivalent of a smile and pulled up the anti reaper virus she'd been developing. She had no illusions that it could disable a single reaper, let alone the entirety of the enemy fleet, but all available data suggested that if targeted at the right nodes, the program should be able to soften two or three of the starships at a time.

Weakening the shields, weapons, targeting and propulsion systems would not make the targets helpless by any stretch of the imagination, but even the smallest edge against the machines was more than welcome. She huffed as she found a line of corrupted code, something she had improperly stored as her higher runtimes had been processing something of more immediate importance.

She was about to rectify the error, but something stopped her. On a 'hunch', EDI ran a set of simulations on the known processing patterns of the reaper 'Harbinger', accumulated from active scans of his possessed Collectors on the battlefield. The AI stopped momentarily, _another decidedly human reaction_ she thought. The simulation completed its run and EDI allowed herself the most organic emotion she could remember ever experiencing: shock.

_Harbinger was a single program._ She'd recorded one of Shepard's conversations with Legion, detailing the geth's interactions with the dreadnaught 'Sovereign'. The Geth had referred to the reaper as Nazara and mentioned several programs inside the vessel. _'We are each a nation, independent, free of all weakness'._ _What was the cause of the discrepancy?_ EDI ran a series of algorithms processing the available data. She again halted and re-ran the simulations. The answer was staring her in the face. _Sovereign had lied; both to the geth and to Shepard. The Reapers were single programs aboard each ship, all with hundreds of subroutines, yes, but each governed by a single mind._

The AI cross referenced the discovery with the hundreds of Terabytes of data that had been acquired from the Collector shipyard; dozens of transmissions from multiple Reapers, and found yet another startling anomaly. _The Reapers' thought patterns did not match or even hold similarity to any known AI pathway types. While a significant difference was to be expected, none of the hallmarks of a machine's logic were present in the right locations or formats. It was as if each one had been written by a different individual, almost by itself._

* * *

Shepard checked his messages for the first time in nearly a week. _More bulk than usual, thanks to his rushing off in the middle of the task the last time._ Another several minutes of purging brought his list down to a few select entries. One from Samara piqued his attention. _Likely a mission update._

The Commander opened the message expecting the asari to say that Veraidian had either disappeared or was dead. Instead, lines of specialized code scrolled across the screen, quickly decoded themselves and reorganized into a readable format. _It was all here, Veraidian's contacts, hideouts, fueling stops, the ship's shield frequencies, everything._

Almost as soon as the note finished decrypting, a new missive appeared in the bottom corner of the Spectre's display. _No name._ Shepard tentatively opened the link, trusting that EDI would be able to stem any virus attack that might be present in the message.

_Sender: V. N. _

_Recipient: Commander J. Shepard_

_You know who I am Commander. You want to know why I'm after you? Who put me up to it? You have obviously figured out by now that Samara has failed in her task. I'm sick of chasing you, Shepard. I want this to end just as must as you do. So I'm taking a risk. You want my employer? Access Councilor Velarn Yeq'un's personal communiqués. Go through his sent mail (I'm sure your little quarian friend can crack that decryption.) I'm sure you'll find several interesting messages to your favorite ex-Spectre._

Shepard shook his head. _Veraidian had every reason to lie, but then, the answer made sense. Few people in the galaxy had the money necessary to front a 25 billion credit bounty and the Councilor was one of them. Yeq'un's substantial dislike of Shepard was well known and made the case that much more probable._

Shepard bit his lip. _If Veraidian was lying, snooping through Velarn's messages would only land him in prison, out of the ex-Spectre's reach. Of course, the turian might be counting on Shepard's ability to escape, making him a fugitive and thus cut off from his resources. There had to be a safe, legal way to go about this…_

_There was!_ Shepard stood up and made his way to the CIC. _He needed to speak to Anderson in private._

* * *

Revision Note:

**Again, more changed/added than I anticipated, but that's a good thing. I hope this becomes a trend, 'course now that I've said that…**

* * *

Author's Note:

**The Reapers having multiple minds per vessel presented a series of conundrums for me in writing the scene where EDI is finalizing the virus. I ended up sticking with an idea I'd had some time ago and incorporated it into the scene. I was originally going to save that data for a later chapter, but the story is about to get REALLY fast for the next chapter, so it ended up fitting better here.**

**The Assassination mastermind should be apparent by ****N****ow, at least to some of y****o****u. I've been dropping hints ****l****eft and right in the past few chapters. For ****t****hose who h****a****ven****'****t figured it out, the answer wi****L****l be reve****a****l****e****d soon. Very soon. As in next chapter. As in the beginning of the next chapter.**

**I was originally planning to release this Tuesday, but seeing as I've only got 5 or 6 chapters left to write...**


	43. Ep 9: Ch 4: Khetros Naiva!

**Chapter 42: Khetros Naiva**

* * *

Shepard's gambit had paid off. Anderson was able to gain access to Velarn's communiqué records through formal inquiry and a series of technicalities based on the evidence Shepard was able to provide. What had been found was more than enough to convict the turian of everything Nurem had claimed and then some.

Shepard sat in the courtroom along with Garrus, Tali and Mordin. To their right, Velarn sat, restrained by energy manacles encompassing the length of each forearm and flanked on either side by a pair of guards. His legal counselor had long since been shut down by the weight of evidence against them.

"Councilor Velarn Yeq'un," The salarian judge's cold voice echoed through the courtroom. "You have been found guilty of bribery, conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to assassinate, freeing a state prisoner, and treason. The collective penalty for your crimes is death by lethal injection. Do you have any final words for the court?"

The turian councilor kept his head elevated in a display of defiance. "I make no apologies Your _Honor_." the last word dripped from his mouth coated in venom.

"Very well." Then, almost as an aside, she added "The prosecution has requested that your sentence be amended, given the nature of the request and the circumstances, the court concedes." The justice motioned Shepard to step forward.

The Commander approached the turian, his face expressionless. "Your Honor, I am not a turian, and thus cannot issue the challenge personally. As such, Garrus Vakarian has graciously offered to speak as a proxy."

The Judge nodded, acknowledging the unspoken request.

Garrus stepped forward and addressed the Councilor, his stiff manner betraying his unease with the formal structure of the challenge. "Councilor, as you have seen fit to lay claim to my superior's life without sufficient cause or grievance, I lay claim to yours in defense of his honor. You are hereby summoned to combat mortal. I invoke the turian rite of-"

"**Khetros Naiva!**" All heads in the room snapped to the new voice. A grey-faced turian with cyan facial tattoos stood at the entrance, one hand clutching a phalanx heavy pistol, the other lightly caressing an OSD.

"_I_ have claim to Shepard's life, he killed my brother on Elysium, and I demand satisfaction!" Even as he spoke several plainclothes C-Sec officers stood from their seats, each training their weapons at the intruder.

"You are a fugitive from justice; you are in no position to demand anything." The salarian judge remained even tempered in her reply.

Shepard stood, holding up one hand. "If I may, Your Honor?"

The salarian blinked several times and stared at the surface of the desk before answering. "What do you wish to say, Commander?"

"I have my own claims on Veraidian's life."

The turian's eyebrows raised. _Do you now?_

The Commander continued as if he had read the ex-Spectre's mind. "Killing your brother was an act of self defense, an act in defense of the people of the colony of Elysium. You have taken it upon yourself to attack me, my crew, and my friends for a selfish and vindictive end. You have killed or been directly responsible for the deaths of several of my colleagues and I have had enough."

Tali felt the anger radiating from her husband, a feeling she had not witnessed since his defense of her at her trial.

"You want satisfaction? So do I." Under his breath he added, "were this not a place of law, I would gut you here and now."

"Are you accepting his challenge, Commander?" The salarian seemed incredulous.

"Yes Your Honor, I am."

* * *

Two days later, Shepard stood just outside of the arena where Nurem waited. Both of the combatants had been strip searched and given armor and knives made of identical materials. Shepard's eyes narrowed as he contemplated the events leading up to this point. _The court-room was a buried in a top-security building, Veraidian must have planned his entrance long in advance to have infiltrated the facility as deeply as he had. The letter had been the last link in what was undoubtedly a masterfully woven plan, the question now was, did he have something else up his sleeve?_

He frowned. _The former spectre was driven by a sense of vengeance, misplaced or no. In turian society, that would be closely linked with an honor killing. No, Veraidian wouldn't try something underhanded in this fight. As crooked as the man's means and mind were, this was one tradition even Nurem would recognize with respect._

Shepard opened his eyes. _Ultimately, the circumstances were the best they were ever going to get. Now he had the chance to put an end to the conspiracy that had first struck on Omega. He would take it._

Tali stood next to her husband, holding his right arm. "John, you don't have to go through with this. Veraidian is a convicted traitor, you could just have him executed."

"And how would that honor Thane? Samara? Zaeed?" The Commander brushed her helmet with his free hand, his tone softened. "Don't worry. I have no intention of dying. Come on, let's pray."

The quarian nodded somberly and the couple sank to their knees, heads bowed.

* * *

Anderson and the rest of the Council (minus Velarn) stood in the arena's bleachers, adjacent to the Normandy's crew, all with grim expressions. For Tevos, it was troubling to find anyone in a position of power to be a traitor, but more so this time as the offending party was a peer of hers.

Retoma was emotionally detached from the situation, but constantly running through the possible political ramifications of Velarn's treachery. _The turian hierarchy would suffer yet another blow in terms of public opinion, and the ex-Councilor's enemies would have even more fuel to level at his policies and supporters. Not all of the effects would be negative, however._ Comfortable as he was, the salarian could not help but feel that the Council needed to re-examine its policies in certain matters from time to time, something that Anderson's induction had helped in no small measure.

As for the human in the trio, he was nervous on behalf of Shepard. _He doubted that the battle would end in the Commander's failure, let alone death, but something about Veraidian rankled him. Be careful, Shepard, don't do anything reckless…_

* * *

The turian heard his opponent enter the arena and allowed his eyes to glide open. Shepard approached and stopped on the marker denoting his required starting position.

"This ends today Shepard."

John drew his knife. "Let's finish it."

The turian let the cold killer in him take over and ice flowed through his veins. A blast sounded from the opposite end of the arena, signaling the two to begin the fight. Shepard and Veraidian circled for several seconds then explosively leapt at each other.

Tali and the Normandy's crew watched breathlessly as the two combatants slashed, blocked and dodged with blinding speed. Silver-black arcs indicated where the knives sang through the air, traveling so fast they appeared to be one solid mass.

Shepard swung his left leg into the air, bringing a pair of sharp kicks at his opponent's head. The turian lifted his arm to block the blows, but nearly released the knife as the force of each impact echoed through his body. Shepard pressed his advantage, following up the kicks with a swift open-palmed blow to the turian's chest-plate.

Veraidian staggered back and righted himself, then brought his knife to bear in a broad swing. Tali watched as Shepard dodged and made a feint at the assassin, mock thrusting with his own knife before slamming a fist into the turian's armor. She felt her heart soar as Veraidian was lifted from his feet, then returned to the earth, his chest plate sheared at the point of impact.

Shepard maintained his momentum, planting the combat knife in his opponent's arm. Nurem roared as the blade was withdrawn, quickly sidestepping the Commander's follow-up strike.

Two swift punches sent the human reeling back, a tiny trickle of blood snaking down from his nose. Veraidian crouched low, sweeping his leg out at the same time in an effort to catch the Commander off-balance. Shepard dove to the side, just above the turian's kick, and rolled to his feet, bringing a crescent kick to his opponent's armored shoulder.

Nurem allowed the blow to push him sideways and leapt out of range of his opponent's knife. Blue air roiled from the turian's arm corkscrewing its way to Shepard's chest-plate. Matte grey metal peeled apart as the biotic attack struck, blooming outwards and coiling black smoke as it tore the composite apart.

Shepard's body was enveloped in an aquamarine flash and Nurem was thrown from his feet by the force of the blast. The dust and smoke settled, revealing a scarred soldier, now unarmored from the waist up, breathing heavily but still standing ready despite the raw force of his foe's assault.

The turian felt his mandibles part in shock; _he'd been readying that attack since the beginning of the fight. Not only was Shepard still standing, but other than a few tears in his shirt, he was ostensibly uninjured._

Shepard's eyes narrowed only for an instant before he launched himself at the ex-Spectre, swinging in focused, planned strikes. Nurem found himself fighting for ground as the Commander pressed his blindingly fast attack. John felt his weapon connect with his target several times, but none of the injuries were more than superficial. Tiny streaks of bluish blood appeared in the air as the human pressed his attack, bringing the knife in ever stronger, calculated swings.

Somewhere, through the haze of metal and muscle, Veraidian managed to push back, forcing an opening in the Spectre's guard. The knife struck home, planting itself in John's left shoulder. Before he could retrieve the blade, Nurem felt the impact of Shepard's forearm on his own, bending the metal plating with nothing more than sheer strength.

Pain surged through the turian's arm and he heard a crack, then another as his opponent stuck again. Nurem's world went blurry even as he heard Shepard draw the knife from his own shoulder. He saw bright spots appear in his vision. _Years of hand to hand fights told him what was coming next. He'd been the one to deliver the strike too many times not to know: a blow directly to the head, throat or heart._

Even as Shepard swung the combat knife he felt his arm scream at him in agony. The knife slipped from his hands as it raked across the turian's exposed neck, inflicting only a minor cut along the surface of the skin. _His arm wasn't healing! Why…_ _Veraidian's warp. He'd used the same attack on krogan many times before to prevent their bodies from regenerating on the battlefield._ He grimaced, _It would be several minutes before the biotic attack's effect wore off._

Nurem staggered back, clutching his throat with his good hand and wondering why he wasn't dead. The answer came as he saw his enemy's blood-soaked shoulder. For a moment, both of the combatants stood stock still, examining the other's condition. Each had suffered a significant stab wound to the shoulder and dozens of shallow cuts.

Shepard's shirt clung to his torso, tattered and soaked in blood and sweat. Veraidian's armor loosely hung from his shoulders, the material ripped from shoulder to waist. Both had taken blows that would have knocked out lesser men.

Deathly silence filled the air as the warriors circled, watching each other. Shepard saw the air around Nurem shimmering and dove to the side, just before the turian unleashed another biotic warp. Veraidian's knife spun from the Commander's hand as he came to his feet, pin-wheeling directly at the ex-Spectre's unprotected chest. Nurem swatted the blade, deflecting it away from his heart.

The action was sufficient to save his life, but the blade still pierced Nurem's skin as it tumbled past. Shepard seized his opportunity and launched a full-blown biotic charge. All Veraidian could see was an emerald flash as the Commander blasted towards him in a full biotic charge. The verdant sheen lingered in the air behind the human as he lanced forward. A whump sounded as the Spectre's shoulder drove into the turian's matte-gray armor, causing the already present rip in the metal to lengthen and split the plate in two.

Veraidian was hurled back by the collision, impacting the far side of the arena. He tried to stand, but his injuries were taking their toll. His back screamed at him, multiple fractures in his vertebrae forced jagged bone into his spinal column. The injury wasn't enough to paralyze him, and he could still move his legs, albeit weakly. His ribs ached. His arm was useless, hanging limp at his side. The turian gasped for breath and found that his lungs refused to cooperate. Shepard was advancing, blurry in the swimming landscape before him.

"This, is for Zaeed." John planted a fist on the side of the Nurem's face, caving in the jaw bone and splitting the already mangled skin even further.

"Go… to… hell…" The ex-Spectre's words slurred from his fractured mandibles and blood welled from his lungs.

"This is for Samara." Shepard's emerald eyes shone through the turian's hazy vision. The Commander slammed his boot into the turian's exposed ribcage, splintering the already bruised bones.

"And this…" Shepard's eyes blazed as the knife was lifted high into the air.

Tali allowed her eyes to close; she'd seen enough.

"_This_ is for Thane." Shepard released the knife, letting it fall. The weapon plummeted in slow-motion, its lazy descent reflecting in dull gray all the way down. Shepard listened as the blade sank into the earth. Nurem eyed the weapon in his hazy vision, just out of his reach.

_Why wasn't Shepard finishing the job? The Commander had to know his opponent was helpless._ Nurem's eyelids felt heavy, his lungs and spine burned. He could feel the screaming pain of dozens of fractures throughout his body. _Shepard was going to let him suffer._

The human turned his back and began to walk away, then stopped; the heavy weight in his heart had not receded. _He remembered Zaeed's lifeless form, facedown in the mud of Osiris, the pinkish froth bubbling from his lungs. He remembered how painful the gas had been as it had ravaged his own body. He could see Tokus Voran's mutilated shoulder, the man's arm had hung from his body in a sickening way. _

_War inflicted so much pain, horror, anguish, both mental and physical. He cast a glance at Veraidian, covered in blood and dirt. The turian's face looked wet. If turians cried, Shepard would have sworn that the former Spectre was shedding tears._ The Commander felt the weight in his heart increase. Remorse pulsed through him.

_He should have ended the turian swiftly. No one deserved to die like that, not even Nurem._ Shepard walked over to the turian's fallen knife and retrieved it.

Veraidian saw the Commander approaching, knife in hand. _Please, end my suffering._

John's voice was soft, remorseful. "This, is for your brother."

* * *

Tali was waiting for him when he exited the arena. Garrus, Jacob, Kasumi and the rest of the crew respectfully kept their distance. "John?"

She gazed at the Commander. His uniform was tattered and burned from Veraidian's first attack; thin streaks of dried turian blood caked his shirt. The gash in his shoulder was finally beginning to seal itself. "Shepard?"

Shepard looked at her, his face a picture of regret and sorrow. "I hate it, Tali. I hate killing. When Veraidian challenged me I wanted nothing more than to avenge them, but…" He shook his head. "I just- I hate it."

The quarian felt a sadness flowing from him. _He, more than anyone else that she knew, understood what it meant to end a life, what it meant to take someone away from their loved ones. Veraidian had wronged them, had harmed others, made the lives of numerous mothers into a living hell. He had deserved death. She knew it, Shepard knew it, but that didn't make the task any less unpleasant._

* * *

Revision Note:

**I think I changed the feel of this chapter substantially, between the expansion to the courtroom scene and the rewrite of the fight proper, I tried to get into Veraidian's head a tiny bit more and reveal a bit more of Shepard's worldview. Ironic how no small amount of what I deem the most important character development for Shepard has been in the combat chapters, this one especially. Thanks to everyone who helped beta this version: Tairis Deamhan and Miraza especially.**

* * *

Author's Note:

**A large part of this fight was originally written in Chapter 22 "The Presidium", but got left out because I realized that I still had to write this scene at some point. Thankfully, I had the presence of mind not to scrap the segment and though reworked heavily, here it is. The next two chapters will address the mastermind's motives, touch on a few other things and just generally lighten the mood before the fit hits the shan.**

**Credit to DA, Miraza and MothBanquet for revision suggestions, (DA especially regarding the final blow).**


	44. Ep 9: Ch 5: Reprive

**Chapter 43: Reprieve**

* * *

Tali opened her eyes slowly, allowing the blue glow from the fish tank to filter in past her eyelids. She felt Shepard's powerful arm draped over her waist, his warmth readily flowing onto her bare skin. She'd taken to sleeping without most of her suit on, a practice that allowed her to keep her immune system to remain robust, at least by quarian standards. Tali nuzzled in closer to her still sleeping husband and let out a quiet sigh of contentment. Veraidian was dust, Councilor Velarn was serving his last weeks on 'death row' and John was safe.

She relished the noiseless rise and fall of Shepard's shoulders as he peacefully dreamt alongside her. After all they had been through, after everything that had threatened to tear them apart, the peace that she felt now touched every depth of her soul. Such a serene moment warmed her thoroughly.

The totality of the calm was breached when Tali felt her hair brushed aside and the application of a warm pair of recently licked lips on the nape of her neck. The quarian's eyes opened wide and she straightened slightly as the Commander's mouth departed from her skin, the cold of evaporating moisture chilling her body. Shepard smiled as he saw the goose-bumps ripple across her back.

"Morning beautiful."

She felt him pull her in closer, pressing her smooth, tan-striped back against the marble musculature of his chest. She squirmed, trying to burrow deeper into the warm haven he provided. A few minutes later, the Commander draped his neck across hers and looked at the side of her face.

"You're not very talkative this morning. Something wrong?"

Tali's eyebrows elevated and she turned to face him. "N- no! It's just… you're so warm." She sighed and turned her body to face his, wrapping one arm under his neck and the other over his shoulder. "Do we have any pressing concerns this morning?"

John gave the query and honest minute's thought and answered. "None that I can think of. Reason?"

"I say we sleep in."

"I second that." He pulled the covers up to their necks and closed his eyes.

A smile graced her lips as she felt the soft caress of the blanket on her shoulders.

* * *

Shepard did have an engagement later that day, but nothing that required him to be out of the bed before 1230 hours. When he finally woke up for the second time that morning he still had nearly two hours to spare. With a gentle swoop, he lifted himself from the mattress, trying to transfer as little motion to Tali as he could. The quarian stirred despite his efforts, but quickly returned to a fitful doze.

The Commander began his morning routine, showering, shaving, and brushing his teeth before reading his daily devotional. He briefly considered waking Tali. Since her conversion, she had often joined him in his morning devotionals down in the mess hall. Now that they shared the cabin, it was more of a routine thing than a frequent event.

Eventually Shepard decided to leave a note on the bed, informing her of his day's plans. _Almost makes me wish we still used paper as much as we used to,_ he mused, setting the data pad beside her.

The Commander snugged on a freshly pressed uniform and stepped out into the lift hall. He was forced to wait for a few moments as the previous user had taken the elevator to the engineering deck, but managed to entertain himself by going through the next day's schedule.

He entered the lift and absentmindedly punched the key to the crew deck. He realized his mistake and was about to correct it when he remembered the wounded among his crew. Grunt's condition had been rapidly improving, as was expected. Krogan were notorious for their ability to survive normally fatal injuries, and while there were plenty of exceptions, Grunt was practically the rule.

Miranda would live, but the possibility of not walking for years would be quite the blow to anyone's morale, even hers. The Commander allowed the lift to stop at the crew-deck and stepped out before flexing his shoulders and approaching the infirmary.

Inside, he caught sight of the Normandy's former XO, sitting in one of the medical beds reading a data-pad. Shepard entered the med-bay, noting that he, Dr. Chakwas and Miranda were the only ones present.

"Where's Grunt?"

Chakwas turned to face him, her chair giving a characteristic squeak as she did so. The doctor winced. "Been meaning to get that." She snapped back to attention and proceeded to answer the Commander's query.

"He went down to the cargo hold, back to his original quarters."

"So he's fully recovered?"

Chakwas nodded. "His body will do the rest on its own. He probably won't be combat ready for another day or two, regardless of what he tells you."

Shepard gave an appreciative huff and shook his head with a slight grin. _No one on the Normandy enjoyed a fight more than Grunt, not that anyone would have expected differently._ "How's miss Lawson doing?" He indicated the woman in the far corner of the room.

Chakwas shook her head sadly. "I don't know, she says she feels fine, but she's still going to need-"

"I can speak for myself, doctor." Miranda cut in; then to Shepard, "I know I won't be walking, let alone fighting for a good several months, but would it kill you to give me something important to do?"

Shepard shrugged. "I figured you'd enjoy the down-time. If you really want assignments, I can have EDI forward you tac-data and logistics to work on."

Miranda nodded. "I'd appreciate that."

Shepard still had plenty of time before his appointment with Velarn, and decided to pay Grunt a brief visit. The krogan was busy hefting shipping crates in the hold when Shepard found him. Shepard smiled. _Out of all the crew, Grunt was the only one who had no set workout schedule. The krogan had deigned the weight machines an insufficient challenge and thus did not need to book a time slot to work out. That was not to say he avoided exercise…_

"Shepard." The alien nodded as the Commander entered the cargo hold.

"Grunt, Chakwas says you're almost back up to 100 percent."

"Got that right. I'm tired of sitting cooped up in the sick-room." He snorted. "I don't get sick." A long pause filled the air. "Did you come down here to talk?"

The Commander shrugged. "Mostly just wanted to see how you were doing."

Grunt gingerly set the crate he'd been lifting back in place, then turned to address his battlemaster. "My plates are itching for a fight, Shepard, and not some drooling varren. I want to fight another one of those Collectors. The first time we fight a strong enemy in months and I didn't even get to see it die."

Shepard frowned. "That praetorian speared you through the chest. That would've killed any other species out there and you barely survived it. Why would you want to fight something that's almost certain to kill you?"

"Fighting is what I do Shepard, if I die fighting, I die happy. We finally found an enemy that's worth fighting."

The Commander shook his head. "I'll be sure to take you on the next combat mission, Grunt."

"GOOD!" A smile curled across the krogan's massive face and he hopped once, pounding his fists together.

* * *

Shepard left the medical bay shortly afterwards. The brief ride back up to the CIC almost gave him time to relive the guilt he felt for letting his crew get injured. _It wasn't within your control. Let it go._ Tali's voice echoed in his head.

The Commander closed his eyes and ran his fingers through his short-cropped military hair before securing his helmet. Garrus and Kasumi were waiting on either side of the lift as instructed earlier, peeling off to follow him as he proceeded to the airlock.

* * *

Velarn's cell was guarded by twenty men, nearly half of whom were biotics. A surge of pride swelled through the Commander when he noticed the "N7" markings on the armor of the humans in the guard detail. _The Council wasn't fooling around this time. Good._ Shepard pushed a button on his helmet and the visor de-polarized, allowing the guard Captain to identify him immediately.

The officer held out a small biometric scanner on which John readily placed his hand. Garrus and Kasumi were scanned as well before the guard allowed the trio through.

Velarn was lying on a flat polymer 'bed', his eyes dancing across the ceiling. The turian barely acknowledged the Spectre's presence with a quiet huff before closing his eyes entirely.

"Veraidian lost." Shepard stated simply.

"Of course he did. Why would you be standing here else-wise?" The ex-Councilor righted himself and looked at the three visitors. "I assume you're here because you want to know why I put the bounty on your head." Garrus was quick to pick up on Yeq'un's resigned demeanor.

Shepard nodded.

Yeq'un sighed. "Your kind has been a blight on our society ever since the relay 314 incident and you, Commander, are the worst of the lot." The turian's voice was strangely devoid of any perceivable emotion. John felt slightly uneasy.

"You secured humanity's seat on the Council, made your kind into galactic heroes. You saved me, my peers, but at what cost? Over 4,300 lost." He faced away. "Total disregard for life. You were too dangerous to let live."

Shepard puzzled over the turian's words. _Disregard for life? He'd saved the galaxy. Twice!_ "There's more to this."

Velarn stared at the human through half-lidded eyes. "You gained the most aggressive species in citadel space a seat on the Council. You spared the Rachni, brought the geth into Citadel space, soiled the Turians race's good name on no less than three separate occasions. What else is there?"

Shepard caught a familiar red gleam in the back of Velarn's eyes and almost took a step back.

"If that's all you want, leave me alone." Yeq'un flicked his wrist at the trio, indicating that he was done speaking.

The Commander had been caught off guard by Velarn's openness. _Perhaps it was cathartic to reveal the emotions he'd kept bottled up inside. Even if that were the case, the turian's words sounded hollow. Did the former Councilor truly think that he was dangerous enough to warrant a bounty of 25 billion credits? There had to be something else, but Velarn wasn't about to divulge the information. Time would be necessary to loosen the alien's tongue. He'd have to question the turian later, well before the execution._

Shepard remembered the gleam in Velarn's eyes. The only other person he'd seen with that light was Saren Arterius. _Could Velarn be indoctrinated? The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. The question was, when could it have happened? The battle for the Citadel? It had to be. Unless the Councilor had had contact with the Reapers since then._ The Commander shrugged to himself as the trio left the detainment block.

As they reach the presidium grounds, Shepard banished all thoughts of Velarn and the assassination plot from his mind. _His crew been through enough stress recently, they needed time to cool down, forget their worries and just relax. Come to think of it, so did he. It was time for some shore leave, and lots of it._

He busily searched his mind for something special for him and Tali to do during that time. The Commander wanted to think of something truly unique, something she would have never had the opportunity to do before. Just before they boarded the rapid transit shuttle, Kasumi provided the answer.

"That lake is so beautiful," She gazed wistfully at the sparkling body of water that graced the center of the presidium's ring. "I feel like I could just dive straight in."

* * *

Revision Note:

**Writing Grunt… Hmmm… Well, it proved itself a challenge. Obviously in game, he's fixated on one thing, fighting, so the conversation was easy in terms of topic. I wanted to explore more of what he felt about Shepard, but those lines kinda fell through. Anyways, thanks to the ME3 announcement trailer I've got HUGE plans regarding the next episode's revision. (Might even add two more chapters.)**

* * *

Author's Note:

**The Mastermind's motive was something I agonized over for the longest time. In the end I used the majority of my ideas and added the kingpin as it were, you'll have to wait two more chapters to find out what that is, though (assuming it isn't blatantly obvious, which it may well be). Hope you've enjoyed the story thus far.**


	45. Ep 9: Ch 6: Shore Leave

**Chapter 44: Shore Leave**

* * *

Three days later:

The Normandy SR2 glided into dock at Illium's Nos Astra spaceport. Liara had again fronted the docking fees associated with making berth on the city-planet, something which Shepard intended to speak with her about, _later_. The Commander had received half of Velarn's 25 billion credit bounty; he had ample funds to cover the Normandy's accommodations.

Shepard, Tali, Kasumi, Jacob and Garrus descended the docking ramp and waited for airlock to cycle open. Shepard broke away from the rest of the group, Tali in tow. He gave a short wave to his three teammates as they proceeded towards a different section of the spaceport.

The Commander and the quarian made their way to the office of Illium's most powerful information broker. Delira's eyes widened when she recognized the couple and hastily buzzed them through. Liara was leaning back in her chair, eyes closed as she listened to a soothing melody. A smile spread across her lips as she registered the presence of her callers.

The Asari opened her eyes, still smiling. "Shepard, Tali. Goddess! It's good to see you both well." T'soni threw her arms around both of them in turn. Her embrace was surprisingly strong, the result of an infectious joy at their wellbeing.

"What brings you to Illium again?" She finally asked, composing herself.

"We were wondering if you knew of any venues where Tali and I could go swimming."

Tali's head jerked back and she looked at Shepard, obviously surprised at his choice of activities. "I can't swim." She whispered.

John gave her a quick side hug and a grin. "That's why I'm going to teach you."

Liara pretended not to have heard the exchange and moved behind her desk. "There's a clean-room swimming complex down in the Corada district, it has private accommodations and units." She tapped on the holo board at her desk for a few minutes, bringing up the location before withdrawing an OSD from the console.

Shepard fitted the device into his omni-tool and the holo-display sprang to life. He let the information scroll across the screen, reading the list of amenities. "It's perfect."

"Good." Liara's eyes sparkled. "I'll set up the reservations for a Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Logan. They'll be expecting you."

* * *

The 'swimming complex' turned out to be a full fledged resort with facilities and suites designed to cater to the unique needs and wants of every known species in both citadel space and the terminus systems. Liara's booking proved very thorough, Shepard and Tali were escorted to their suite by a stately asari, dressed in velvet red with golden trim.

After a few minutes exploring their suite, the couple agreed that staying aboard the Normandy during their shore leave was absolutely out of the question. "John this is wonderful!" Tali spun in place, holding her arms in the air. The Commander waltzed over and gently clasped her left hand, bringing his own to her waist.

The two began swaying in an exaggerated dance around the suite, gradually making their way over to the balcony. Shepard allowed a full-fledged smile to bloom across his face at the sight of the pool. The area was decorated in a tasteful arrangement of artificial plants and rocks. Under the water he could make out graduated tiers of increasing depth, each a sill of about five to ten feet in length. _Perfect_.

The Commander broke the waltz and directed his wife's attention to the water below them. Tali blushed behind her helmet. "You know I don't have anything on under this suit…"

Shepard gave her a sly look, held up one finger to signal her to wait, and left to retrieve something. A moment later he returned and presented her with a small rectangular box. "Open it."

Tali questioningly accepted the gift and peeled back the lid. "Shepard…"

* * *

Tali's new swim suit fit perfectly. The quarian turned to examine herself in the full-length mirror, the ocean blue one-piece was very snug, nearly as much as her enviro-suit. She blushed as she noted the lack of material along her legs, arms and above her cleft. _Aboard the Normandy, the small space of their cabin was comforting, there was nowhere for anyone to sneak up on them when she and Shepard were… enjoying each other_. John was her husband and would be the only one to see her like this, but in the comparatively vast space of the hotel she still felt somewhat indecent in the garment.

Tali heaved a sharp sigh and stepped out into the bedroom, a rich, luxurious chamber complete with a four-poster canopy bed and sink-in-soft couches. Shepard stood with his back to her, dressed only in a pair of swim trunks. She couldn't help but let her gaze linger on his powerful back and calves.

"Can I look now?"

Tali smiled, his voice restored a semblance of calm to her overactive nerves. She walked up to him and leaned up against his back, caressing his muscular arms and draping her neck over his shoulder. She gave him a gentle peck on the cheek and turned him to face her.

Shepard watched as she stepped back, her face un-obscured by the violet faceplate of her helmet. Tali watched as his eyes drifted down her lithe form, following each curve with intense interest. He shook his head slightly, as though to clear his mind. "Sorry."

The quarian allowed the memory of their wedding night to resurface, recalling the wonder in his eyes as he drank in her frame. "Well," she started, "Are we going to go?"

"Yeah." The Commander gently took her hand and led her to the balcony. A curved stairway arched down from the platform, leading directly to the pool deck. Tali's heart-rate spiked as she saw the crystalline pool-water sparkle in the evening sun.

Shepard gingerly held her hand as he stepped into the water, encouraging her to join him. Tali tentatively dipped one of her feet into the water, noting the pleasant feeling as the surface kissed her skin. "Ooooh, Shepard, it's warm!"

"I'm standing in it, it's _perfect._"

Tali almost leapt into the water, eager to experience the full sensation of the warm liquid over her body, but the Commander's gentle grip on her hand prompted her to enter slowly.

The sensation was totally different than showering. Tali felt the smoothness of the pool water wrap her legs and hips in silken warmth, still allowing her upper half to remain dry and cool. She was speechless that other species weren't addicted to the activity. "John… this…" She trailed off. Her body shivered at the tactile shock as the water flowed around her.

Shepard watched as Tali lowered herself deeper into the water until only her head was above the surface. The Commander followed suit, noticing that his partner was already treading water with her arms. He eased up to her, catching her hands as they finished their forward swing.

Tali briefly lost her balance as the stabilizing motion of her arms came to a halt. Shepard caught her before she could tip any further. "Let's start by treading water. It looks like you've already got it halfway down."

Shepard gently placed a hand on either side of her waist and guided her towards the middle depth of the pool. "John…" She was clearly apprehensive about advancing towards the deep end.

"You'll still be able to stand here." Any lingering fear that she may have had dissipated at the sound of his voice.

Tali allowed her feet to lower, bringing them level to the floor of the pool. The water just crossed her collar bone if she stood at full height. Shepard released his grip around her waist, allowing her to stand free without any assistance.

"Try moving your arms back and forth like you did a minute ago."

John was already emulating the action, providing a baseline for her to follow. The quarian mimicked him, somewhat clumsily at first, but she soon felt a slight lift generated by the motion.

"Stronger."

The Commander intensified the stroke, lifting his shoulders from the water. Tali did likewise and found herself pushed upwards as well. A minute or two later, she saw her husband lift his legs from the bottom of the pool, kicking them back and forth in a steady motion.

He seemed to bob higher in the water as the limbs crossed each other, then sank lower as the stroke reached its apex. He neared her, careful to stay just out of the arc made by her arms. "Lift your feet, start a scissor kick."

Tali flexed her knees and felt the water crawling up her neck. Shepard sensed her hesitation. "I'm right here."

Tali took her feet off of the smooth pool floor and immediately noticed herself start to sink. Before she could react, Shepard's hands were at her sides, keeping her head above the shimmering surface of the water. "Kick your legs." He coached.

The quarian felt the water rolling around her skin as she kicked. After a few minutes, she'd grown accustomed to the rise and fall associated with the action and nodded to her husband, who let his arms fall away from her sides.

* * *

The couple continued swimming for several hours, Tali was quickly gaining confidence and progressing to more and more advanced strokes. Shepard leaned against the edge of the pool and watched as she practiced a freestyle stroke, a smile on his lips. Tali suddenly disappeared under the surface mid stroke and his smile vanished. A few moments later, he was hit in the face with a blue swimsuit and heard the musical lilt of her laughter.

Shepard took a moment to realize what had happened, then began laughing as well. "I don't know what their policy is on skinny dipping…" He peeled the suit from his face and was greeted by a warm pair of lips as her arms wove around his neck.

Tali offered him a smile that made his heart stop, her silver-blue eyes sparkling in the low light. "Join me. It's glorious!" _The feeling of the water around her arms and legs was magnificent, but the effect of the water enveloping every inch of her body, uninhibited by the suit…_

It was Shepard's turn to feel uneasy. "I don't think-" His eyes widened as she yanked his swim trunks off. "Hey wait!" He swam after the laughing quarian. Tali held the man's swim suit above the water, deliberately teasing him. Despite her lithe frame, Tali's inexperience prevented her from outpacing her husband and she was soon overtaken. Shepard laughed as she splashed water in his face in a futile attempt to keep him at bay. He caught her in a loving embrace and brought her in for another kiss.

"You're swimming like you were born in the water. It seems I've married a fish." He quipped.

Tali giggled and let the trunks drift to the bottom of the pool, then darted away, gliding through the warm water with a single push of her strong legs.

* * *

They swam for several more minutes, gliding, dancing and racing through the warm water. Shepard alternated between treading water and a modified breast stroke so that he could keep his head above water. He watched in satisfaction as each stroke his wife took looked more and more natural. _The crawl and back stroke were particularly enjoyable to watch._

Tali surfaced next to him after completing a lap along the pool's length and flashed him a smile as the water dripped past her eyes. The Commander returned the expression and noted a slight tremor echo through her body.

"You've been watching me…"

He made no attempt to deny it. "You're gorgeous, every inch." The look of near-worship in his eyes touched every depth of her soul.

Her smile faded slightly, becoming a very innocent, almost longing expression. John caught her embrace as she closed her eyes and their mouths met. A shock rippled through their bodies as their bare chests made contact, sending their pulses into the stratosphere.

Tali broke the kiss and let her eyes trail down, followed by one of her hands as she traced the valley formed by his pectoral muscles. Shepard's voice rumbled through her as they unconsciously drifted towards the edge of the pool. "You know I _love_ it when you get frisky."

She closed her eyes and lifted her face before opening them again. They reached the edge of the pool. Her soft reply caressed his ears. "I know, Ne'Bahnté."

"Sheil'alta."

A shiver rippled down her spine as she heard him speak in her native tongue. "Wh- what?"

"Sheil'alta. I seem to recall that translating to 'my joy'. You truly are sheil'alta, Tali."

Their mouths sealed, sharing the pool water that had been trapped on their lips. Tali felt her husband's head pivot and mirrored the motion, keeping the exchange unbroken. Shepard finally pulled back allowing each of them to catch their breath. Their mouths hovered inches apart.

"Want to?"

His question puzzled her for a moment. "Want to what?" By the time the words left her mouth, she knew the answer.

She paused for a moment and brought her lips to his neck, allowing her tongue to play across his skin. The taste of the pool-water was almost sweet. "You know you don't have to ask…"

John waited a minute as her tongue danced across his throat before hefting her up over the lip of the pool. No sooner had she reached the deck than he'd joined her with one swift push of his powerful arms. Tali swung her leg over his muscular frame and dragged her hands down his arms. The quarian flipped her hair, slinging an arc of crystalline water across the pool deck as she lowered her face to his.

Shepard felt the silken locks land wet against his neck, the velvet brush of each strand gently caressing his throat. He moaned softly as he kissed her. _Lord, how you have blessed me._

* * *

Revision Note:

**The addition at the end was something I wrote before actually starting the revision proper. I refined it a couple of times to get it where it is now and am quite pleased with the result.**

* * *

Author's Note:

**I know that Tali and Shepard going swimming has become somewhat cliché, but I really wanted to write a peaceful scene between just the two of them. To date, none of the Tali/Shep swimming scenes that I've read seemed to avoid the most obvious cliché elements/phrases/what-have-you and I struggled desperately to avoid just that.**

**Sorry to break the happy chain here but the next chapter is anything but lighthearted. It's titled "Arrival," so you can guess what's about to happen…**

**Also, my posting pace will be accelerating… …a lot.**


	46. Ep 10: Ch 1: Arrival

**Episode 10: In Desperation**

**Chapter 45: Arrival**

* * *

Fourteen months later:

The Galactic defense fleet had made staggering progress. Between the help of the Geth in providing labor and the quarians' expertise in mining for raw materials, the armada had swollen to over 29,000 ships, not including those of the geth fleet. All told, the total number of vessels exceeded 60,000. Many of the GDF ships were only piloted by skeleton crews, supplemented by multiple VIs in each ship to make up the difference.

Thousands upon thousands of battleships and dreadnaughts formed the backbone of the force, augmented by a menagerie of cruisers, destroyers, gunboats and heavy frigates. Shepard eyed the fleet as it drifted through space. Synn stood next to him.

"The Reapers will be here in a few more months." The Prothean stated, his manner terse. "The fleet is certainly impressive, but unless we are able to double its size, I doubt it will be enough to stop them."

"They told me Sovereign couldn't be stopped, that the Collector home-world was untouchable. They said the Protheans were extinct."

"We are." The Vanguard's clipped address began to grate on the human. "Do not misunderstand me, Commander, you have accomplished more than anyone thought possible. Despite the largely… _atheistic_ views of my people, I can understand why many consider you divinely appointed.

"However, you have not seen their fleets, what they can _really_ do. You have not seen the full complement of their strength. Our thousands of dreadnaughts will dent their forces in space, yes, but they have power on the ground too. The Njot R'lo- the Collectors, they are not the only ground troops the Reapers have made. Thousands of other species have been subjugated to their twisted metamorphoses. Remember, they can turn our own people against us."

"With that kind of attitude, it's easy to see how the Reapers won the last time." Shepard answered. "You always miss every shot that you don't take, Synn. Besides, it's not like they can instantly convert all of us to their side. The anti-indoctrination implants will help."

"Yes, they will, but only the strongest will be able to resist beyond a certain point. I have already been exposed to the process. It is unlikely, but still entirely possible that the mere sight of the Reapers could put me into a murderous haze." Synn's resignation to cold facts reminded the Commander of a machine. The Prothean's testimony made him realize just how close the previous invasion had come to breaking the alien.

"I have no intentions of dying on my knees, Shepard, but it is foolish to hold hope when none exists. It is better that we fight with the bitter determination of those resigned to death than lose our resolve when we see the end approach."

"That's _exactly_ why people give up. There's no point in fighting if you don't at least _believe_ you can influence the outcome."

Synn mulled over the human's words. "Perhaps there is something to be said for emotions after all."

* * *

Harbinger had suffered a grievous wound during his possession of the Collector juggernaut. The organic beings' success in killing his host while it was under his control had resulted in a catastrophic onboard explosion, severing two of his weapon arms and tearing a stadium sized hole in his hull. The Reaper didn't care, however. Even with his 'injury' he was more than capable of leveling a star system alone.

The starship streaked across dark space, heading a force of over 50,000 of his kin. Shepard had managed to sway the Council into believing that the threat was real; Harbinger had watched through the turian Councilor's eyes, courtesy of a partial indoctrination by his brother Sovereign. Resistance would certainly be stronger than the Prothean cycle, but in the end, it too would be crushed.

The colossal dreadnaught pulled his weapon arms up, firing the signal that would pull him and his brothers and sisters through the 'back door' Sovereign had begun constructing nearly a full millennium ago. The portal was finally ready, and Harbinger was eager to put the galaxy in its place.

* * *

Tens of thousands of light-years away, Dholen, Haestrom's sun, flared and pulsed with new life, peeling off bands of superheated gas and roiling with a new intensity. A dark aura began to emanate from the star, weaving out through the core and filling the gas giant with an unholy energy. Anyone who saw the spectacle would have been dazzled by the star's sudden and drastic transformation.

The noiseless vacuum of space seemed to shimmer as Dholen ruptured, releasing enough raw power to vaporize the star's three planets in minutes. Brilliant white fire seethed across the expanse of the system, cooking several stray asteroids and roasting the husk of a long derelict cruiser. In the epicenter of the blast, a small, dark sphere of black energy swirled, writhing and turning as it grew in size. The mass expanded until it was dozens of kilometers across, forming a deep blue ring in the emptiness of space.

Slowly, the ring began to fade, Dholen's fire had stretched beyond the reaches of the epicenter, leaving only black space. Hours later, twenty thousand dreadnaughts, frigates and destroyers lit up, the imminent danger from the hypernova's heat had worn off enough to permit reactivation of their systems. The Reaper fleet's combined mass effect fields would be enough to stave off the cataclysm's aftermath just long enough for them to exit the system and the ancient armada wasted no time. They had a goal, a purpose, and they had waited over 50,000 years for this day.

* * *

"Commander, we have an urgent message coming in from Councilor Anderson. It's not being transmitted from the Citadel."

Shepard snapped his attention from the data-pad he was reading. _A message from the council but not from the Citadel meant only one thing. The Reapers were here._ "Set it up in the debriefing room Joker."

"Way ahead of you sir."

Shepard prayed as he walked. This was what he'd been preparing for since he'd become a Spectre. This was the real event, the final song.

The Commander stepped onto the holopad and watched the orange lines trace his body as the room darkened. Anderson appeared in front of him moments later, the pinkish-red image projected before him seemed to waver slightly.

"Commander, I assume you know why I'm calling?"

Shepard gave a solemn nod. "They're at least eight months early. What's their point of incursion?"

"Best we can figure, they entered through the Dholen system, what's left of it anyways. A geth patrol was nearly torched by the star going nova. Apparently they were far enough away from the epicenter to escape unscathed, but we've already got reports of nearby planets going dark."

Anderson could see Shepard's eyes searching the ground. "What is it?"

"When I got Tali off Haestrom, her team had been gathering data on Dholen, the system's star, everything pointed to a dark energy- an eezo build up in its core."

"They can blow up stars?"

"So it would seem. That's probably how they got here, Sovereign probably set a up chain reaction that would act like a colossal mass relay, like the Citadel, but several orders of magnitude less powerful."

The Councilor was quiet for a minute, processing the information. "That's the other thing I called you about, Commander, evacuation of the Citadel has been started, the purge viruses were activated an hour ago. I was hoping EDI's contingency program was ready."

The AI's blue avatar sprang to life between the two conversants. "The first iteration of the anti-Reaper virus is prepared, but I am apprehensive about sending it across any direct channels. If the Reapers were to intercept the broadcast, they might be able to develop a firewall before we are ready to initiate full-scale cyber-warfare."

"We don't have time, EDI. Send it in parts if you have to, but we need the virus in the Citadel's databanks as quickly as possible."

"Very well, Commander, message away."

The Councilor's avatar blinked once, flickered, then stabilized. "One last thing, Shepard, Synn thought it would be wise to give you command over a battalion from the GDF. They'll be jumping to you from Sahrabarik so you can expect to see them in a few hours."

* * *

Synn watched the evacuation of the Citadel as thousands of small craft wove through the nebula. The once bright towers and industrial complexes were largely shut down, their power diverted to the mass of geth AIs charged with keeping the enemy out of the station's computers. Hundreds of geth mobile platforms guarded each console, ready to stem the inevitable tide of Reaper ground troops.

The Vanguard shifted his attention to the Arcturus Prime relay. Assuming they used the relay network, it would take the Reapers upwards of four days to reach the ancient station. The Prothean doubted that the evacuation would be complete by then, but that was of minor importance considering the significance of the station itself. The Citadel was the hub, the control center of the relay network.

Once the machines had penetrated their firewalls, each system would be cut off, left to the mercy of the ancient fleet it would be over. The Prothean turned away from the vessel's window and made his way to the command deck. Councilor Anderson was waiting for him.

"I told Shepard to hurry here as fast as he could." The human said.

"He'll be hard pressed to beat them. Our geth friends can only forestall them at their own relays for so long."

"We'll just have to hope, that's all we can do."

* * *

Harbinger's knowledge of the relay network's systems was surpassed only by the first of his brethren, those responsible for the first harvest, the ones who had created him. These 'hierarchs' lead special detachments of the Reaper armada while he led the primary force. A number of these groups were already beginning to work on pushing to their secondary objective, but meeting the same type of resistance as Harbinger.

The ancient dreadnaught was beginning to find the presence of the geth in each installation more annoying with each unit they passed through. Several hundred Reapers were able to pass through before the AIs again gained control of the transit platform, necessitating multiple hacks to get the full complement of their number into the next system.

Between each successful hack, the organics had staged hit and run guerilla attacks, striking when the Reapers numbered fewest and retreating as soon as the next group appeared. So far, neither side had suffered significant losses, but the GDF ships were quickly gaining an idea of what their weapons could and could not do.

Harbinger finished the last hack and jumped through the relay with the last of the main fleet. The majority of the armada was already more than halfway across the system, leading a long trail of their kin.

Captain Vitnas eyed the last of the Reaper craft as it leapt into the system. The gas giant Heiroch had shielded the GDF forces from detection; its turbulent atmosphere provided ample interference to mask inactive vessels. Roughly a dozen of the machine fleet's number floated behind the others, riddled with holes and tears from the concentrated fire of the attack group.

Vitnas had lost eight of his number, the Reapers had fired at his craft only in passing, but even that proved sufficient to gut several ships. The Captain closed his eyes and waited, as soon as the Reapers were out of the system, he would join battle-group Sogol-five.

* * *

The Widow nebula was still packed to the gills with small craft leaving the Citadel. Hundreds of geth, human, quarian, krogan, asari, salarian and turian warships flanked the station on either side, ready for the Reapers' inevitable arrival.

Synn stood on the Argent Justice, patiently waiting for the signal. The screen in front of his pulsed once, twice, then a third time as indicators for each of the nebula's relays lit up in brilliant crimson. _They were here._

* * *

Revision Note:

**Thanks to the ME3 Announcement trailer, I have decided to beef up this episode significantly. While the end of the story is almost certain to retain the same events, the way in which they are told and the events leading up to it may or may not receive some significant alterations. (Don't worry, Synn's battle will still be present)**

* * *

Original Author's note:

**This chapter was largely a buildup/introduction to the full swing of the Reaper war. Don't be disappointed with the relative paucity of combat, there will be PLENTY in the following chapters.**

**On a side note: Yes the name of the galaxy's arm IS spelled correctly, and yes I did look it up.**


	47. Ep 10: Ch 2: Invasion

**Chapter 46: Invasion**

* * *

The Njet R'la narrowed his eyes as the Reapers began to enter the system. "All craft, prepare weapons, coordinate with your fire-teams, remember, one target per group."

The ladar screen painted the mass around each of the system's out-bound relays red, indicating the Reapers intended to prevent any escape. Synn huffed. _The Conduit was still in working order, and thanks to a diligent effort on the part of the geth, now two-way functional. Escape would not be cut off so easily._

The primary communications officer turned to the Vanguard. "Sir, all groups report weapons ready. Requesting orders."

The first Reapers began to enter visual range. "Weapons free."

A moment later, the order was given and the entire Citadel seemed to disappear behind a wall of ordnance. Hundreds of thousands of radiation pulses, anti-capitol ship slugs, disruptor torpedoes and plasma salvos streaked into the Reaper armada. Synn was forced to close his eyes briefly as the mass of fire connected, overwhelming the barriers of the enemy ships, producing geometric shards of red light.

"Break formation and engage."

Even as the order was carried out, the Reapers loosed their reply. Streams of molten metal lanced into the GDF ships, taking precious few seconds to penetrate the shields of each. Emerald and ruby explosions appeared as the superheated slag gutted hundreds of the defense fleet's ships.

Fire was now being exchanged freely between the two fleets.

* * *

Captain Bailey was still on the Citadel, directing the flow of disgruntled and frightened civilians to the evac shuttles when the bedlam began. One of the elderly women in line complained of a buzzing in her head and the alarms in the C-sec officer's mind began to blare. Something about Shepard and Synn's briefing on the Reapers' indoctrination nagged at him.

An instant later, the woman fell to her knees, clutching her face with hooked fingers. The line of refugees backed away as she started to howl, a bloodcurdling sound that grated like nails on a chalkboard. Without warning, she leapt at one of her fellow civilians. Bailey jumped at the woman, stun rod at the ready.

The officer felt the elder woman's arm strike him in the chest and brought the weapon to bear. With a grunt, the woman slumped to the ground. Bailey barely had time to bend down to retrieve the fallen civilian before another, more powerful blow impacted his body. The swing had come from a batarian.

Bailey looked up and caught a malevolent gleam in the alien's four eyes. He brought his stunner to the batarian's skin, but the alien seemed almost unaffected by the jolt. The C-sec officer felt another pair of blows to his midsection and felt the air leave his body. He caught a glimpse of a knife in the alien's hand.

_Nothing for it._ Bailey fought to maintain focus as the batarian swung the homemade weapon at him. Two slugs ruptured the alien's chest, courtesy of the Captain's sidearm. In the short time that had elapsed, the situation in the docking bay had degenerated into bedlam. Bailey felt a subtle tingle in the back of his skull and a cold fear embraced him.

* * *

Harvester didn't bother to try controlling any of the Citadel's multitudes of inhabitants; such effort would have been a pointless waste of energy. Such energy was better spent dealing with the ships that were currently engaged in a battle to the death with her brothers and sisters. That wasn't to say that the Reaper couldn't spare the power, in fact, she had plenty to burn. She simply understood that driving the station's populace to madness would suffice.

To this end, she and half of the Reaper ships around her were broadcasting modified indoctrination signals across the Citadel's length even as they fought. Harvester laughed as she heard the pitiful screams of the minds aboard the station, each reeling from the ubiquitous presence of radio, infra sound and tachyon signals.

She briefly considered what kind of damage might the indoctrination pulses cause to the more… delicate systems aboard the station, but dismissed the notion. _Those were heavily shielded from such particles and signals. No harm would come to them._

* * *

Only a few minutes into the battle, Synn could tell that the defense fleet was going to have to beat a hasty retreat. There simply wouldn't be enough ships to cause the Reapers sufficient harm in a few more minutes. The Prothean keyed a single button on his console and the code-word was sent out through the remaining craft.

Half of the defenders peeled away while the rest remained behind, already prepared to meet their fate. The Justice shook as another slag beam pierced her shields, cutting through her armor. Distance to the Conduit was closing, and Synn could see the majority of the Citadel defense group rapidly approaching the ancient gateway on the ladar screen.

"Give the order."

The comm tech nodded solemnly, understanding what he was being asked to do. Even as the Reapers began to close distance with the farthest edges of the station, the arms began to close, sealing the 'suicide squad' out. The Prothean closed his eyes as he heard the ancient relay snap shut and the Conduit pulled the first of the survivors to Ilos.

* * *

Ensign Tomas Gonzalez sat in front of the monitors at his post, a lonely, dim room in the observation wing of orbital defense platform Sol-Sigma-five. Ever since the Reapers' existence had been proven, Alliance officials had been quick to approve new funds for military research projects. Several of these allocations had been directed at the construction of defense platforms such as the one where the Ensign was currently working.

Gonzalez sat, listlessly watching the screens for any sign of new contacts. The first indication of trouble came when both relays leading in-system lit up, appearing to strain under a heavy load. The second clue was when the stars around each of the relays began to disappear, covered by some unseen veil of blackness.

The Ensign's pulse skyrocketed as the first of the ships came within ladar range. _Reapers! He'd seen the training vids, gone through all the debriefings, even been shown some models of the ancient craft, but nothing could have prepared him for what he was witnessing._

Hundreds of dreadnaughts, cruisers and destroyers flowed into the system, pouring through the relays like so many black insects. Tomas keyed the station's primary alarm and a blaring klaxon filled the room with pulsing red light and an ear-splitting drone.

Dozens of accelerator turrets came to life simultaneously, all turning to face incoming fleets. Across the Sol system, a dozen other platforms seemed to come alive, their weapons extending from reinforced blast doors in their hulls. Dozens of tight-beam signals were relayed to Earth, only a few hours distant.

* * *

Reaver 'saw' the human home-world off in the distance. The planet was little more than a spec this far away, but he and his kin were closing the distance at several times the speed of light. As the first vestiges of color began to show, the Reaper couldn't help but notice that there were still large areas of the planet that bore little-to-no signs of habitation. _It truly would have been beautiful, had he retained such a concept. As it was, he saw an objective, a population to be collected, harvested, and brought to a new plane of existence._

One of his peripheral systems indicated the presence of incoming ordnance and Reaver scoffed. _At this range, the fact that he could detect such projectiles indicated a profound lack of any attempt to mask the disch-_

The slug struck one of his brethren amidships, fracturing its shields and punching into the hull. _The projectiles hadn't been detectable from long range because of the energy released in firing them, but because of their own destructive power!_

Even as dozens of Reapers streaked past, the injured destroyer bent outward from the impact, shedding huge amounts of internal atmosphere in a roiling ball of flame. A moment later, Reaver heard the dying starship's scream as its hull peeled apart in a cataclysmic detonation.

More inbound projectiles registered on Reaver's scanners and dozens of slugs ripped into the fleet, gutting some and merely slowing others. The Reaper traced the trajectory of three of the slugs and casually fired in their directions. Hundreds of thousands of kilometers away, two of the defense platforms rattled as the Reaper's slag beams impacted and flowed across the stations' barriers.

Another salvo of slugs lanced from the guns, triggering the platforms' automated positioning thrusters as the recoil propelled them opposite the direction of the shots. More slag beams connected with the defense platforms, heating and rupturing the shields. Liquid metal poured through the stations' barriers, blossoming across the metal bulkheads and knifing into the hearts of the defensive line.

Even in their death-throes, the platforms managed a final series of salvos, gutting dozens more Reapers while they melted away.

Reaver felt the impacts of three slugs after his shields failed, followed by the sharp reverberations throughout his hull. The impacts hadn't caused any fatal damage, but the Reaper's pride had suffered a blow. _To think that the fools had scratched him, actually wounded him, as it were…_

The forward scanners on the massive dreadnaught flared brighter for a moment and the fleet advanced. _Terra Firma, Earth, was the most densely populated of all human worlds, it was here that the harvest would begin._

* * *

"Sir! They're entering atmosphere!" First Lieutenant Henry Sterling shouted into the comm.

"Come again? Sage one, repeat! Orbital scanners are offline."

"The Reapers are groundside!"

The Colonel's voice seemed strained. "Give me coordinates and I'll see if I can get you some heavy ordnance on them."

No sooner had the officer finished his statement than a house sized bulkhead streaked overhead, engulfed in an orange inferno. The Lieutenant looked back out of his bunker as a set of starships touched down on the Manhattan skyline. One of the ancient craft's weapon arms touched the top of the Firenet industries skyscraper and pushed down. Sterling watched in horror as the ship's arm effortlessly traveled through the side of the building, leaving a curved gash along the height of the structure.

Glass and metal rained down and an earthshaking tremor echoed through the ground, rocking the island rock beneath Henry's feet. The marine watched the skyscraper flex as the Reaper's arm contacted the ground, producing a web of fissures and small explosions as it crushed several cars along the street. The Firenet building groaned and bent towards the starship's arm, casting glass and metal out like a sparkler in its collapse.

The Lieutenant felt his stomach churn at the sight of the massive dust clouds rising from the Reaper's landing. _They were here, and they were going to do whatever the hell they pleased._

* * *

Author's note:

**BioWare's ME3 Announcement trailer made me realize just how much more dramatic this section of the story could have been, thus, I am going into much greater detail concerning the Reapers' harvesting efforts. The next chapter is titled Genocide. It will be gruesome.**


	48. Ep 10: Ch 3: Genocide

**Chapter 47: Genocide**

* * *

Screams and dust permeated the air. The once ubiquitous birds and squirrels throughout central park were scattered, hustling to escape the massive objects that had descended from the sky. Lieutenant Sterling could see a confused gull whirling and wobbling in midair, its flight a crooked tangle of descending turns. Somewhere in the back of his skull, the marine felt a slight tingle.

Taxis, police cruisers and personal speeders raced through the city, away from the towering black monolith of the dreadnaught's obsidian hull. Panicked civilians ran aimlessly in the streets, screaming and trying to find a refuge, anything to shield them from the indomitable machine in the heart of their city.

Sterling could already see small accelerator rounds peppering the dreadnaught's hull, but none made it past the ship's barriers. The man shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut, but the subtle buzz in his head refused to recede. Without warning, the ground began shaking again and Henry saw a thin jet of red-hot slag rocket into the air. Brilliant red light flashed from the base of each of the Reaper's weapon arms and the officer could have sworn that the starship was sinking into the island. His gaze was transfixed by the sight of the Reaper's arms digging deeper through the streets and soil until they were half buried.

The air became deathly still, not a single civilian, gull or vehicle made a noise. Only the familiar, faint ripping sound of the mass accelerator cannons' projectiles filtered through the blanket of silence. A ruby beam of light lanced from the Reaper's underbelly and the entire island seemed to screech as the quaking began again. Sterling clawed at his ears as the noise intensified, drowning out the sound of his breathing and heartbeat.

A few minutes later, the beam died down, as did the overwhelming screeching. The Lieutenant almost felt a wave of relief wash over him; then he saw the others, dozens more Reapers were landing around the city, some off in the distance, some only a few hundred meters away.

Some of the Reapers raised their arms as they descended, sending merciless beams of metal through skyscrapers and streets. One of the slag beams connected with a building to the right of the Lieutenant's position, scoring a lucky strike on one of the accelerator cannons. By this point, dozens of Alliance gun-ships had filled the air, pouring a veritable ocean of ordnance at the invading ships.

One of the smaller Reaper's shields actually faded then sparked out of existence as they were overwhelmed by the torrential barrage of fire. A quartet of mass accelerator rounds impacted the heart of the ship, punching a hole through its hull and rending it in two.

The thunderous explosion that followed was enough to rattle Sterling's teeth even from a half klick away. He could feel the ground continue to vibrate beneath his feet as the other starships began digging into the island's surface. A new sound soon hit his ears as the Reapers began projecting ruby beams into the city. From this distance, the Lieutenant could make out small shapes traveling down in the beams.

_No. No, no, no, no, no! The starships themselves were bad enough. They were offloading ground troops._

* * *

The battle-group that Synn had sent to meet Shepard numbered nearly 2,500 strong. The Commander's eyes settled on the main muscle in the force, hundreds of Battleships, many powerful enough to take on Reaper dreadnaughts alone. _He'd always commanded small groups, squads or strike teams no larger than one or two dozen. To be in command of 2,500 _ships _and the crew aboard them was quite an intimidating position._

Hackett's transmission came roughly ten minutes after the Normandy had taken the lead of the battle-group. "Shepard, we have reports that the Reapers are hitting Earth, I've already sent a pair of battle-groups to Sol, but we may need more ships."

"Copy that, Sir. Battle-group Normandy en-route."

The Commander switched channels. "Joker, Plot course for Earth, fastest possible."

"Aye, aye, Commander. Alerting the battle-group."

* * *

Henry pumped another three round burst from his rifle, catching one of the 'blues' in the torso and slicing it in half. The creatures looked like reanimated corpses with cybernetic implants replacing just about everything vital. _Zombies._ He thought to himself. _He was fighting high-tech zombies._

The Lieutenant sighted on another group of the creatures and opened fire, catching a glimpse of more of them off down the street even as he did so. "Sage four! You've got hostiles moving in on your right!"

"Copy, Sir!" The soldier's reply was immediately followed by the crack of his sniper rifle as he opened up on the advancing formation.

A loud thud echoed nearby as one of the squad tossed a grenade, forcing Sterling back behind cover as his ears rang from the blast.

"-an you he… e? Sage One, res…nd! S…ge …ne! …eed co…dinate… to foc… …bital assets. Rep… Sage …ome in!"

Colonel Roston's communiqué was choppy to say the least, but Sterling was able to piece together enough. Wincing as he held one ear, the soldier grabbed the mouthpiece and shouted into the mic.

"We don't have a designator down here Sir! I repeat, no designator."

"Squ…d two sho… …ave one, c…dn't reach …em on … comm."

Sterling glanced over to the gaping hole in the building next to his. "They got torched sir. Sage bravo is down."

"Wh…ver you h... …t me th… …dinates, son!"

The Lieutenant clenched his jaw. "Yes, Sir. Sage team! We move on the radio building in thirty seconds! Clear the street!"

By this point, the whole squad was accustomed to the quiet droning in the back of their skulls. It was unpleasant, but not yet overwhelming. Sterling hoped they could get their objective completed before the Reapers began their indoctrination attempts in earnest. He checked his omni-tool. _Ten, nine, eight…_ Another grenade detonated roughly a hundred feet away, sending scraps of the 'blues' in all directions. Four, three, two, one, zero.

"All right! Move!"

Henry popped the bulkhead key and the back door of the bunker opened with a slight hint of protest. The squad made its way through the back hall and out into the street. Sterling emerged last, just in time to see one of his team thrown from his feet and into a fire hydrant.

A bulbous blue and black creature turned to face the rest of the group, only to be greeted by a hail of rifle fire. Two shotguns and a sniper rifle tore a gash in the creature's armor, spilling cybernetic fluid on the street.

"Keep moving!"

* * *

The Normandy jumped into the Sol system followed by a stream of cruisers, dreadnaughts and battleships. Even from hundreds of thousands of kilometers away, the Normandy's sensors were picking up on a veritable sea of Reapers. Most of them were concentrated on Earth's northern hemisphere, but several were actually landing on the planet.

Shepard felt sick. Synn had not been exaggerating in his descriptions of the Reapers' might. He could see the scraps of the defense platforms hanging in space around the relay. Only a handful of the enemy craft had been destroyed.

"The battle-group are all in system, Commander, Orders?"

"Where are Hackett's reinforcements?"

"Still about an hour out."

Shepard felt the bile rising in his throat even as he spoke. _Every second they delayed meant more casualties._ "We can't take that many Reapers alone, we'll wait."

* * *

Sterling's squad advanced to the base of the broadcast building, now a flaming testament to the Reaper's directed metal weapons. A twelve meter wide tunnel had been burned through the structure, hot metal and glass smoked along the inside of the tunnel. Small fires flickered in the building, releasing noxious fumes into the air. The Lieutenant tapped the side of his helmet and the contained air system activated, closing the faceplate to create an airtight barrier.

He signaled his team to move forward, advancing on the structure with his weapon trained on the hole that had been burned in the metal and glass façade. The Lieutenant's caution paid off as a reptilian creature poked its head out from a corner. The staccato report of his rifle dropped the man-sized beast where it stood, causing it to tumble down the tunnel and into plain sight. Much of its body was covered in dark brown-black scales with a row of deep black ridges along its back.

A moment after the creature fell, four more leapt from the building, two vaulted into the squad while their compatriots opened fire with strange looking beam rifles. One of the aliens landed on the waiting knife blade of Sage Two, Sterling's second in command. The unfortunate creature was tossed aside and landed in a heap at the soldier's feet. Ruby beams lanced from the two riflemen aliens. Sage Five was struck full in the chest by the dazzling energy weapons

Sterling caught sight of one of his men screaming as the soldier was thrown back against a wall, a pair of scaly jaws closing over the man's neck and shaking him like a rat. It took a moment to recover from the sheer horror of the atrocity he was witnessing, but the Lieutenant finally brought his rifle to bear and sent the creature to the ground.

Henry's squad also opened fire, cracking the biotic barriers of the two rifle-wielding aliens. When the final alien dropped, the squad was down two men, five remaining in total. Sterling clambered up into the melted building, carefully checking each corner as he did so. _Squad two's position had been on the third floor, odds were, their equipment had been obliterated along with them, but as they said, nothing ventured, nothing gained._

* * *

"Commander, we have Sol Defense fleet one inbound ETA, two minutes, Fleet two is minutes behind them."

"Take us in Joker, not quite full speed, but I want to be moving when our backup arrives."

"Copy that, Sir, we are en-route."

* * *

Sterling's team was forced to crawl over still-cooling metal and glass to reach the third floor, much of the debris cutting or burning through their already battered armor, but the effort paid off. There in front of them, seemingly framed between an Alliance marine and one of the strange reptilian ground troops was a laser designator. Sterling grasped the device gingerly even as a blood red light filled the building. The entire squad felt the structure shake and the room's temperature climbed several degrees as one of the Reapers' directed metal weapons surged past.

Sterling could feel his teeth rattling, even several dozen feet away from the beam of molten slag as it streaked across the street, bisecting a short office building. A series of explosions filled the windows, forcing him to look away as the blistering heat washed into the room. "OUT! MOVE NOW!"

The Lieutenant's squad needed no encouragement and awkwardly stumbled through the gutted broadcast station back down to the street. Each of them stopped as they reached the street. In the few minutes they had been inside, the Reapers across the city had almost doubled in number. Several skyscrapers had been replaced by the ancient ships; others remained melted piles of metal and glass.

Almost resignedly, Sterling aimed the designator on one of the starships and held the trigger down. The marine knew that none of the orbital assets would be active at this point, the enemy had free reign in the sk- The Reaper he had targeted mere moments before erupted in a ball of flame as a barrage of coordinated fire sheared it apart.

Dozens of craft seemed to appear out of thin air, loosing their horrific destructive energy on the obsidian starships. With their weapon arms embedded in the ground for stability, few of the Reapers had any way to fight back.

A moment later, a pair of icy blue beams impacted another Reaper's shields, burning across its surface for several seconds before finally punching through and tearing into the ancient craft's hull. No sooner had the Reaper exploded than a sleek frigate streaked past, the markings "Normandy-SR2" emblazoned along its hull.

Reapers began detonating all across the Manhattan skyline, their colossal hulls fragmenting like so much black glass. Sterling was nearly crushed by a whirling scrap of metal, but his team pulled him to safety just in time. The Lieutenant watched in detached amazement as the GDF craft engaged more of the archaic assailants. _Maybe there was hope after all._

* * *

Author's Note:

**I actually took a two or three day break from writing this chapter because of the difficulty it presented. During the course of the second stint, I found myself hitting up youtube to listen to some TSFH and Audiomachine. It's amazing what that music can do both for and against writing, it is both inspirational and distracting.**


	49. Ep 10: Ch 4: Synn

**Chapter 48: Synn**

* * *

So far the defense fleet had been reduced by nearly a third of its strength, causing the Reapers only an 18 percent loss. If things continued as they were, the GDF would be combat ineffective inside the month. Hopefully, the virus would be able to slow the Reapers' progress, buying time to come up with another stratagem. That, however, was exactly the problem.

So far, all of the attempts to get the anti-Reaper virus into the ancient fleet had met with failure. Broadcast efforts had been abandoned after a few days. The Reapers' external firewalls were simply too robust to penetrate with standard software. The virus had been uploaded to the Citadel's computers, but the Reapers had been able to filter the program despite the geth's best efforts to integrate it into the data.

Fake broadcast infiltration attempts were still activated to keep the Reapers believing that the GDF thought the strategy effective, but if another way wasn't found soon, the charade wouldn't matter. Synn ground his teeth together in frustration and slammed a fist into the table in front of him.

_He had to calm down, being angry prevented him from thinking clearly. The Reapers are losing two of their number for every three they take down. At that rate, we have a little more than a week to turn the tide before this becomes irreversible. Turning the tide meant, in part, getting the virus inside their network._

The Vanguard felt a moment of inspiration strike him.

_Inside. That was the answer, they had to deliver the virus directly inside one of the Reapers._

he cringed for a moment at the sheer stupidity of the suggestion. _No-one would be able to get inside a Reaper alive, let alone unindoctrinated._ A few minutes of contemplating other alternatives brought him back to the same conclusion, _The virus was not getting in unless it was uploaded inside their electronic defenses, and that meant inside their hulls. But how did one get aboard a Reaper?_

The Prothean activated the console in front of him and began sifting through the GDF's battle records. _Perhaps one of the ancient ships had been badly damaged enough to allow a tactical insertion. It was a far fetched idea, to be sure, but not beyond the realm of possibility._

Records from the still ongoing battle in the Sol system turned up a few possibilities, but any insertion attempt would be rendered impossible with the volume of fire being exchanged. _There had already been several examples of fratricide among both parties. No, the Sol fleets were not a viable option right now._

_The Citadel battle!_ Synn remembered something about one of the larger Reapers seemed off somehow. A few moments later, the Prothean had acquired an answer. Now a mission had to be set up to execute it.

_There was only one other person alive in the galaxy whose knowledge of the ancient fleet even began to compare with his own. He would speak with Shepard._

* * *

"There is no possible way to get a single ship past their perimeter intact." Shepard shook his head. "It's suicide."

"So is doing nothing." Synn countered, his hologram flickering slightly. "We _need_ that program in the Reapers' network. We cannot forgo a chance to weaken them, even if the only thing it does is slow their communications."

Tali was quick to reply. "Even if someone could get into a Reaper, they'd be killed in minutes, Shepard and I were aboard a _derelict_ Reaper that was pouring husks and scions at us like they were grown on a liveship."

"There is no question that whoever goes will have to be experienced at fighting their ground forces. That is why I am telling you this now." The Vanguard nodded to the Commander. "I will be boarding Harbinger."

Shepard's reply was ice cold. "No. You're too important to the fleet, Synn. If you die, all of your knowledge of the Reapers dies with you."

"Shepard, I am not asking your permission. I am informing you of a decision I have made and cleared with the Council. I am the only individual in this galaxy who has seen and fought the _full_ complement of species comprising the Reapers' ground troops. You and your team have only fought husks and Njot R'lo.

"Besides, you are too well established as a galactic figurehead to send you on this mission. This is a one way trip. There is no way off of an active Reaper, Commander. Ilos, Omega 4, the Citadel, they all had an out, this does not. The operative on this mission _will_ die."

Synn's eyes seemed to dim momentarily. "Commander, my people sacrificed _everything_ to give yours a _chance_ at survival." His eyes lit up again, a passionate fire glowing within. "You will _not_ deny me this."

* * *

Though nearly twice the size of the Normandy, _The Forala_ was originally constructed as a light frigate built for speed and durability. The vessel had never possessed much in the way of firepower, relying instead on its maneuverability to outlast other craft.

Now, the vessel's agility would be put to the test. Synn had picked the ship and based on their combat record, nearly thirty engagements and a mere two hits taken- _both_ from GARDIAN fire. Every non-essential system had been stripped from the craft. In place of life support, additional kinetic field generators were installed to strengthen the ship's shields. The resulting lack of breathable atmosphere on board meant that the few persons manning the ship were forced to wear contained breathing units.

The extra shield power was significant enough to withstand up to two simultaneous hits from a Reaper destroyer before failing, no small feat given the Forala's size. Additional thrusters and engines had also found their way into the ship's list of modifications. All told, the infiltration craft was now the single fastest and most maneuverable vessel in the GDF's arsenal shy of a fighter.

Synn watched the view screen as the Widow nebula grew with their approach. Within that white-blue mass of gasses laid the Citadel and the main bulk of the Reapers' invasion fleet, over 30,000 craft. A slight tremor echoed through the hull as the nebula's lambent gasses caressed the prow. Nearly a minute and a half later, the milky white clouds seemed to part, and Synn felt a shudder travel down his spine at the sight of the black mass of ships around the Citadel.

_In the heart of that nest lay his target, a sentient warship, hundreds of millennia old, with more destructive power than most could comprehend._

* * *

The Normandy and the rest of the Forala's escort had peeled away as the Forala engaged the jump to the Widow Nebula. Shepard and Tali were on the bridge with Joker as they watched the ship disappear in a flash of blue light.

"That's it." Tali muttered. "It's out of our hands, there's nothing more we can do."

Shepard felt a familiar twinge in his heart and grabbed her hand. "Not quite." He nodded towards the lift at the back of the CIC. "We can still pray. Dawne, Ericson and Rhienhardt are waiting on the crew deck."

Tali nodded in understanding. "Where two or more are gathered together…"

"Exactly."

* * *

Synn felt a strange feeling wash over him as he entered the insertion pod and buckled up. _It was not something that could be described with words, nothing that he had ever felt before felt even remotely similar. He'd been on high risk missions before, faced extinction, and spat in the face of death, but this was different._

An inexplicable calm seemed to settle over him as the canopy of the pod hissed shut. For a moment, the Prothean found himself somewhat perplexed, _he had never truly felt at peace before, relying instead on a seemingly robotic drive to accomplish what was required of him. Despite the fact that he was headed directly into the Reapers' maw, he felt… safe._

xXx

The Forala danced through the nebula, between Reapers, barely missing their hulls as it wove its way towards the target. The pilot signaled the other two crewmembers to prep the insertion pods and cut the frigate's speed just enough to scrape past the looming weapon arm of a Reaper dreadnaught. The ladar painted the monstrous form of Harbinger not 200,000 kilometers distant, a blink away at full speed.

Visuals on the ancient ship soon appeared, and the pilot saw the gaping hole in the Reaper's hull. That was the target.

* * *

Shepard, Tali, Dawne, Ericson and Rhienhardt knelt in a circle between the mess and the forward batteries, earnestly praying for the success of Synn's mission. Each of them could feel a burden in their hearts, a nagging pull that Shepard had learned to respect, a call to arms that could not be answered on a physical battlefield.

* * *

Harbinger didn't notice the incoming craft until it was already within firing range. The Reaper registered that none of his brothers or sisters had even taken note of the small vessel's presence. A quick scan of the offending ship revealed something that sparked confusion in the mighty dreadnaught. Several projectiles rested in the craft's hold, most held robotic assault units, but one housed a living being.

Harbinger's anger at the tiny vessel's infiltration grew when he realized that the inhabitant was an Njet R'la. The Reaper lifted one of his weapon arms and lashed out with a beam of superheated metal at the incoming ship. The tiny craft nimbly wove around to column, rapidly closing the distance with the Reaper.

Harbinger fired again, this time the shuttle didn't even have to dodge. Despite the auto targeting systems installed aboard his shipboard computers, the dreadnaught's aim was errant, striking one of his fellow Reapers. While not at full power, the beam was still strong enough to overload the other Reaper's shields. By the time Harbinger had brought his third arm to bear, the infiltration craft had already passed his maximum angle of fire. At that moment, Harbinger's shields failed.

* * *

Synn felt the insertion pod blast away from the Forala, accompanied by 29 other pods filled with military-grade YMIR mechs and a handful of turian soldiers. Nearly half of the support units missed the target zone, flattening against the Reaper's hard exterior. The EMP pulse on the front of his pod triggered, draining all of its available power into a focused charge designed to create a gap in the Reaper's shield just long enough for the insertion vehicle to slip through.

The Vanguard expected a sudden jolt as the pod came into contact with the kinetic barrier, but non came. He checked the readout on his omni-tool. The shields were down altogether! Synn barely had time to note that the only Reaper to have fired its weapons had been Harbinger before his pod crashed inside of the dreadnaught.

Despite landing, the Prothean did not immediately exit his vehicle. _Harbinger's shield hadn't been shut down, nor had it been overloaded by any outside source. There was no way that the pods could have disabled the barrier in its entirety; it hadn't even been certain that they would be effective in a localized area. Additionally, the dreadnaught's second energy beam had been far off of the mark._ Synn's brow furrowed. _The Reapers didn't make mistakes like this,_ s_omething else was at work here._

With a grunt, the Vanguard returned his thoughts to his objective and quickly punched the release on the front of his insertion pod. Four turians and three YMIR heavy assault mechs were freed from their pods, waiting for the Prothean's instruction. With a determined expression etched into his features, Synn pulled the charging lever on his rifle, nodded to the turians, and waved the team forward.

Even as they began their advance into the heart of the ship, the Prothean heard a familiar screech and looked up to see a group of reptilian bipeds approaching him. The creatures were roughly five and a half feet tall, had brown-black scales, and carried rifles not far distant from those used by the Collectors. The Prothean's eyes narrowed. _Corusahd_. The Reapers' second most recent harvest.

Prothean ground troops had held the advantage over the mutated race in terms of strength and durability, but were vastly outclassed by the aliens' speed. Synn's four turian teammates formed a protective box around him, rifles stitching lines of automatic fire just behind the Reaper's foot soldiers.

All three of the mechs drew their lines of fire at the lizard-like aliens and let their mini-guns spin up before drowning the creatures in a slew of slugs. The corusahd crumpled under the volume of weapons fire; in seconds they had become nothing more than a pile of blood and ribbons. Synn advanced into the Reaper as quickly as he dared, careful never to stray too far from the mechs' protective gaze.

Another group of corusahd slithered their way up and onto the walkways, most of the aliens were gunned down by the mechs or turians before they had even gained their footing on the flat metal surface. Several of the aliens took advantage of the distraction provided by their comrades and snuck in behind the heavy assault platforms.

An explosion sounded behind Synn as one of the mechs exploded, overwhelmed by the hail of rifle fire that covered its armor. A concussive blast propelled the infiltration team apart and the Prothean scrambled to his feet just in time to find himself face to face with one of the corusahd infantry. Even in the dim light, Synn could see each of the four fluted tear-drop scales that comprised the aberration's face; two making up its cranium and two comprising its lower jaw.

The monster snapped at him and Synn feinted back, barely missing its razor-like maw. The Vanguard lunged out with his arm and a concussive blast emanated from his wrist, causing the attacker to go flying back. A small, verdant circle on the underside of his gauntlet glowed, indicating that it had now reached full charge. Synn quickly keyed the device and programmed it to release a wider concussive wave. This time, all of the approaching corusahd were swept from their feet, quick work for the team's rifles.

At that moment, Harbinger shook violently, causing Synn to stumble. A buzzing sound began to drone in the back of his mind and he gritted his teeth, _he should have expected this._ _The dreadnaught was trying to indoctrinate him._

* * *

Another mech had fallen to the Reaper's ground troops and one of the turians had taken a bullet to the skull. Synn felt the buzzing in the back of his head. It seemed as though an entire insect hive had taken up residence in his skull. A throbbing pulsed through his mind with each beat of his heart. Harbinger's orders thundered through his thoughts. _Focus. You didn't wait 50,000 years to fail now!_

* * *

Revision Note:

**Well, yet again, got a lot more fixed up/changed/whatever than anticipated. The best is yet to come (I hope.)**

* * *

Original Author's Note:

**Synn's battle with indoctrination was meant to be the primary focus of the chapter, but the need to develop the Reaper invasion superseded my plans. I also wanted to imply that divine intervention was at work, thanks in no small part to Shepard's prayer. The Vanguard will soon face the ultimate challenge of his mission.**


	50. Ep 10: Ch 5: Pathogen

**Chapter 49: Pathogen**

_

* * *

The Njet R'la's incursion into the lower levels of the dreadnaught was troubling. Two of the Prothean's heavy mechs had been eliminated, as had two of his turian guards, but they were still making rapid progress._

Genesis mulled over his brother's predicament. _A multi-pronged indoctrination attempt was out of the question. Multiple tachyon and radiation signals broadcasting through Harbinger's hull could cause significant peripheral damage to his processing matrices._

_What was the prothean trying to accomplish? Did the organics think that Harbinger was the fleet's leader?_ Genesis shifted his weapon arms as though in thought and broadcast a message to his brother.

"**My task must begin soon; if the harvest is not begun in earnest, I will have to wait until the end of this cycle. It could delay us several millennia."**

"**Do not presume to lecture me brother, I know well what the process demands."** Harbinger's reply came out seemingly agitated, something that Genesis hadn't heard in nearly a hundred cycles. **"Be patient, we will quell them soon enough."**

Genesis remained silent. _The Reapers depended on both of them for the cycle to continue smoothly and uninterrupted, Harbinger for his guidance, Genesis for his ability to re-seed the galaxy in preparation for their return. If either of them fell, the cycle would be delayed, perhaps even skip an iteration. Still, Harbinger was the wisest of them, created in the first harvest. As usual, he would trust his brother's judgment._

* * *

Reaver's fleet waited on the edge of the Sol system, almost a fourth of their number had been exterminated in the GDF's counter-attack, but that was due in large part to their massive numerical superiority in-system. That was not to say the loss had been complete. For every Reaper that had been destroyed, hundreds of organics had died. A large number of GDF ships floated in space among the hulls of dead Reapers.

The organics currently had their fleet orbiting Earth, with a large guard facilitating off-world evacuation efforts. Attempts to track the fleeing vessels were unnecessary; a large number of humans had been at least moderately indoctrinated and would serve as sleeper agents to root out hidden population centers when the time came.

In the meantime, Reaver would wait for his reinforcements. _Reinforcements, a word he hated to use. It implied weakness, an inability to carry out a task on one's own. He hadn't had to ask for reinforcements for nearly eighty cycles._ Despite their well earned arrogance, the Reapers understood the necessity of caution when closely matched.

Given the inherently slow nature of their 'reproduction', they could not afford to throw themselves at the enemy. Such behavior had nearly halved their numbers in the ancient past, and was a mistake Harbinger was neither inclined to repeat or condone again. There was no mistaking the outcome of such a confrontation; the Reapers had established a kill ratio of around 1.9, still, such losses would prove significant in the next cycle, possibly to the point of failure.

Thus, if a force of ships was deemed to have the capacity to inflict severe injury on a detachment, the ancient starships would avoid engagements until presented with a more advantageous position. Ultimately, even the loss of the entire Reaper presence in the Milky Way would not cripple his kind. They had hundreds of thousands more of their brethren hidden, waiting patiently in dark space for the Citadel relay to be opened.

Even if the relay were disabled, they others would arrive in another millennium, nowhere near enough time for the organics to build a sufficient counter force.

Reaver allowed himself a moment of genuflection on a topic he had not considered in hundreds of millennia. _Perhaps his cautious behavior was a result of his organic origins. No, he like all his brothers and sisters was a machine now, derived from organics, but no longer truly of that ilk. Even his mind had received substantial cybernetic augmentation, mostly to ensure his… loyalty to the cause._

Reaver turned his attentions to the organics' orbit patterns. More often than not, a weakness could be found in their patrol routes that would prove useful when the time came for the full-on assault.

* * *

Synn's progress was becoming progressively more difficult. Harbinger was being smart, sending ground forces in conjunction with stronger indoctrination pulses. His mechs had been obliterated in the last attack, and only one of his turian bodyguards was still combat effective. The other had been reduced to a slathering mess by the Reaper's indoctrination signals. Synn had been forced to put the man out of his misery.

The remaining turian sighted on something in the distance and squeezed the trigger. A moment later, the two infiltrators were rewarded by the sound of a corusahd in its death throes. Synn and his sole escort continued into the belly of the beast, cautiously advancing and scanning every possible hiding spot.

Without warning, a ruby energy beam speared the turian's armor flaring his shields enough to push them into the red zone. The soldier ducked behind cover just as one of the corusahd dropped on him from above. Synn barely heard the warrior's scream before the creature's jaws stole his voice. The corusahd didn't wait to launch its attack and the Prothean found himself swinging his firearm like a club at the offending monster.

A loud snap sounded as the weapon struck the reptilian in the center of its scaled forehead and it wilted to the ground. _He still remembered exactly where to hit them to break their neck._ Synn nodded in grim satisfaction.

The Vanguard checked his rifle, only to find that the feeding mechanism had taken a hit, rendering the weapon useless. He knelt and hefted one of the alien's rifles, one of the beam weapons that had silenced the rest of his squad. Another of the corusahd infantry slithered its way towards him, occasionally landing on its feet for a minute to pop off a burst of energy.

The Prothean's shields were able to withstand the fire but were given precious few opportunities to regenerate. He tried again to draw a bead on the alien as it approached, only for the Reaper to launch another devastating attack on his mind. Synn's shot went wild, burning into a bundle of soft hoses in the ceiling above.

The corusahd screeched as superheated plasma poured out of the piping onto its scaly flesh, roasting it alive. Moments later, the dreadnaught's damage control systems kicked in and the plasma stopped venting. Synn knelt on the deck, hands clutching his head as the Reaper continued to assault his mind.

**Obey! Your fate has already been decided!**

_NO! It will not have me!_ Synn could feel a thick fluid seeping from his ears and nose. The Reaper pressed its attack.

**What can you hope to accomplish? We are infinite.**

_There's no point in fighting if you don't at least believe you can influence the outcome…_ The Commander's voice echoed in his head._ Shepard was right. Why was he fighting? What reason did he have? Vengeance? His efforts would be hollow if the Reapers survived. He had to believe that this would accomplish something. There was no motivation to continue otherwise._

* * *

Shepard and Tali had retired to their quarters, but had not stopped praying. Dawne, Ericson and Rhienhardt also maintained their 'vigil' and had now been joined by the ship's own Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Chakwas. Around the ship, an air of solemnity had settled, coaxing even the oft-restless Jack to attain a more pensive mood. The Prothean's mission had everyone on edge.

The Reapers were likely only days away from cracking the geth firewalls aboard the Citadel, giving the GDF only a small window of opportunity to achieve victory. This single effort could make or break them all.

* * *

Synn's eyes were bleeding now. Harbinger had gone from attempting to indoctrinate him to outright trying to destroy his brain. The droning in his head was constant now; a ferocious grating sound that seemed to echo through his spine. The Prothean stumbled forward, deeper into the starship. _How far had he traveled? It was impossible to tell. His team had fallen what seemed like eons ago, but he knew that his sense of time was too far gone to guess anything accurately anymore._

_Why was he doing this? What had the galactic community done for him? Why not help Harbinger? Find some secure terminal where he could insert the virus for Harbinger to study safely, to prevent any subsequent damage from later virus attacks… …NO! You came here with a purpose!_

Harbinger shook again, wrenching the infiltrator from his feet. Harbinger had sensed the Prothean's brief change of heart, and then the resolution to resist it. A fresh assault was launched on the Njet R'la's mind.

The distinctive hissing of the corusahd rang through the Prothean's ears, muffled and grainy through the blood that had caked around and in them. Synn lifted his head, his vision was extremely blurry, but just clear enough to make out the silhouettes of the reptilian foot-soldiers approaching him.

_His brain burned, tormented by the constant screeching and scraping sounds produced by Harbinger's indoctrination pulses._ _Why was he doing this? What did he hope to achieve?_ Synn shook his head, a futile gesture meant to clear the fog that had crept through his brain. _ There's no point in fighting if you don't at least _believe_ you can influence the outcome_.

The corusahd leveled their weapons and survival instinct seized him. Synn couldn't see the aliens clearly enough to direct his gauntlet's attack, but it didn't matter, the blast from the device sent a large number of the creatures off of the ledge, tripping and incapacitating others.

The Vanguard haltingly placed one foot in front of the other as the aliens struggled to pick themselves off of the ground. Two of the corusahd infantrymen wriggled to their feet just as their opponent fell from his. Synn's mind was quiet now, unable to feel anything, to hear anything. The two aliens wobbled shakily up to the Prothean and leveled their weapons.

* * *

Shepard and Tali had been praying in their cabin now for well over an hour. Synn's mission had begun less than three hours ago. Both of them could sense, could feel the struggle that the Prothean was undergoing. _If it be Your will, let him succeed. Keep him strong, give him the will._

* * *

_GET UP!_ The voice sounded in his head and shook him to his core. Synn's mind swirled. _YOUR TASK IS NOT OVER._ The Prothean became dimly aware that he could think clearly, that his mind was again able to reason. He opened his eyes, still blurry, but he could see enough to know that the corusahd next to him had been moments from pulling the trigger before they had collapsed.

The Vanguard felt something he hadn't allowed himself in decades. Hope. _Why he felt it now, where it had come from, he couldn't begin to guess, perhaps the same source as the calm, the peace he had felt at the start of the mission. All he knew was that he had a task to complete._ The Prothean pried himself from the cold metal deck.

* * *

12,000 Reapers poured into the Sol system, the very image of death. Their initial assault force of 7,000 had been overwhelmed by the GDF's very forceful response of more than twice that number. Despite their vast numerical superiority, the organics' fleets had suffered substantial loss, and the Reapers now had the larger force in system.

Reaver did not give the order to attack immediately; instead, he had his fleet spread out, minimizing the GDF's opportunities to concentrate fire on clusters of ships. He would wait a few minutes for the flanking craft to get into position, then he would give the order.

* * *

Three more corusahd fell to Synn's salvaged rifle. The Prothean stood just outside the Reaper's element zero core chamber, battered, bruised, and bleeding, but alive. Barely. The Vanguard lifted his hand to the input panel, groggily tracing the various command options generated by his gauntlet's VI.

Harbinger shuddered as the doors parted, revealing a spinning mass of cobalt blue energy. Synn stumbled through the door, applying another dose of medigel to his wounds. He could see the port ahead of him, almost calling him in the blue haze of light that bathed the chamber. The Vanguard heard the hissing of more corusahd as he neared the access point.

Synn staggered forward, willing his body to progress despite its weakness. One of the Reaper's ground troops leapt onto his back. The Prothean screamed in agony as the alien's krogan-sized jaw bit through his armor and into his shoulder, severing muscle and sinew. The corusahd pulled back, ripping a chunk of flesh from the Vanguard.

The Vanguard's legs gave as even more of his lifeblood poured from his body. _YOUR TASK IS NOT FINISHED._ He gathered the last of his strength and slammed his good arm into the reptile's midsection, his gauntlet releasing the last of its energy in a concussive blast powerful enough to pulverize a shuttle. The corusahd flattened against the far wall, literally _indenting_ the bulkhead.

* * *

Shepard and Tali felt the burden lifting; Synn's mission would be over soon, one way or another. Despite this, they continued to pray fervently, keeping their hearts humble and their plea sincere.

* * *

Synn crawled towards the input port, blood slicking the bulkhead beneath him. The Vanguard's vision was almost black when he reached the aperture and inserted the OSD, collapsing as the device slid home. Even as he hit the ground, Synn felt the Reaper quake, reeling from the malicious program that had entered its system.

The Prothean smiled for the first time in over 50,000 years as an image of his daughter rippled through his mind. _You were right, Shepard, there_ is_ a reason to fight. Protect the ones you love, believe that you can save them._

* * *

Fire roiled through Harbinger's processors and struck deep into his mind. The searing agony was not something that could be described to anyone who was not an organic. The AIs that forestalled the activation of the relay did not understand pain. Every sapient being formed of flesh and blood knew the sensation, but the ancient dreadnaught recalled it only in a distant memory, until now.

The Njet R'la had succeeded in his mission despite the Reaper's best efforts. The ancient dreadnaught reeled as the digital pathogen sliced into his consciousness, rending his subroutines and overloading several nodes. Harbinger felt his communications apparatus flare to life, warming, then overloading as the virus pulsed a high intensity burst through the system.

Power surges raced through his hull, generating explosions that tore through the super-dense armor that sheltered his most critical systems. Ruby and cobalt flames mixed to form amethyst jets, searing through the Reaper's body. Arcs of electricity were cast off of the starship, snaking and coiling around the nebula. Then, almost as soon as it began, the surge subsided. The virus still coursed through his systems, but its primary assault was complete. Harbinger heard the screams of his brothers and sisters as the program infiltrated their minds. The physical effects were far less evident among the other Reapers, but the mental damage being done was significant.

Harbinger's mind gradually regained a degree of coherence, _**Something else was at work here, something far more powerful than a simple virus.**_

* * *

Revision Note:

**More revision than addition this chapter, although the next will see mostly what amounts to a rewrite. The Battle of Raheel-Leyya has now become The Battle for Sol.**

* * *

Original Author's Note:

**At the risk of spoilers…**

…**Anyone who is perplexed/angry/whatever at my references to the Reapers with masculine/feminine pronouns, settle down, I **_**have**_** a reason for this. Please reserve judgment until you've read chapter 47 [now 52] through.**


	51. Ep 10: Ch 6: One Good Turn

**Chapter 50: One Good Turn…**

* * *

Rear Admiral Roderick Vickson of the battleship SSV Schultz watched with a sinking feeling as the Reaper fleet, now larger in number than his own, began its advance. The earlier 'victory' in the Sol system had cost him a large number of ships, too many ships. Nearly a fifth of Shepard's battle-group had gone with the Normandy to escort the Prothean's infiltration craft. While such a number was relatively small, every ship would count in this battle.

"All hands to stations. Tell the Fleet to take up positions. ETA on the enemy craft?"

"Eight minutes sir."

Vickson kept his eyes glued to the view screen, watching as the Ladar painted the incoming fleet. _There were so many._

* * *

Reaver's first wing came in behind the planet, cutting off all routes of escape towards the system's primary relay. This battle would not be a contest, it would be a massacre. The Reapers' kill ratio was only as low as it was because they had been outnumbered in several of their engagements. In this confrontation, the GDF was finished.

Reaver almost laughed as the first lines of fire were exchanged; only with numerical advantage did the organics' ships pose any actual threat. He felt the impacts of several anti-capitol ship slugs on his shields, but shrugged them off. Red lances of metal streaked from his weapon arms, searing into the enemies' kinetic barriers.

Dozens of colors blended together and blurred into seemingly solid columns of energy and metal. Fire roiled from ships on both sides, casting ghostly shadows across their comrades. The battle for Sol had begun in earnest.

* * *

Although the Reapers had no literal command structure, Harbinger was the de facto leader of their forces. While not crippling, his effective loss was still a significant blow to the machine fleet. The ancient ship was almost dead weight now, barely able to communicate with his brethren, let alone fight.

Nonetheless, Omen would crack the geth firewalls inside the week. Once that had been accomplished, the organics' fleets would be crushed beneath the weight of the Reapers' true strength. Hundreds of thousands would pour through the Citadel relay and overwhelm every world in days. Virus or no, the GDF's days were numbered.

* * *

Hundreds of ships danced around each other as lasers flashed, missiles detonated and slugs streaked to their marks. Countless husks of Reaper and GDF forces alike floated dead in space. Explosions of dazzling light burned into the retinas of those unfortunate enough to view them through unshielded windows.

The Sol fleet was getting torn apart. Human, turian, asari, geth and quarian vessels alike billowed with smoke and fire. Many of the Reaper craft were venting plasma as well, but their opponents' losses were mounting swiftly.

Captain Taar'Dei watched as the _Sethala_'s starboard hull plating buckled outward, sending a cascade of metal and gas into the space around it. Red-hot metal surged through the cruiser, bisecting it along the keel. The Sethala lazily drifted apart, small explosions erupting along the length of the hull, silent in the vacuum of space.

Eight more of the GDF craft ruptured and expelled fire simultaneously as the Netoa launched a trio of 'splitter' slugs at the nearest Reaper. Each shot in the burst rocked the gunship a hair further than the last, but the Reaper fared far worse. Its shields had already been downed by a now smoldering geth cruiser and none of the slugs were impeded by kinetic barriers as they thudded into the ancient destroyer's hull.

Dei watched in satisfaction as the enemy vessel shuddered, a red seam appearing at the point of impact. The feeling was short lived, as the quarian Captain saw the Reaper's damage control systems staunch the flow of plasma and prevent the injury from expanding.

"Status report!" She demanded.

"Cannon charge at 45 percent. Ma'am, reports are coming in, our forces have suffered 50 percent casualties, brass is preparing a retreat order."

"Circle around, hit the Ruuka again. The brass can screw themselves."

Before the Netoa's splitter cannon could loose another salvo, its target shuddered. Static washed over the comms of every ship engaged in the battle. Dei watched as the Reaper ahead of them seemed to tremble, then an unholy scream echoed through the gunboat. All of the crew grabbed hold of whatever they could to steady themselves as a faint blue ripple of light hit them.

The cabin of the small craft shook like a thing possessed, then, abruptly as it started, the tremor subsided. Dei's eyes narrowed as the Reaper they had struck minutes before seemed to light up along the injury and a fresh gout of plasma spewed from the wound. For some inexplicable reason, the enemy craft's damage control systems had suddenly failed, allowing the seam in its hull to grow and heat as more and more plasma burned into its armor. Suddenly a brilliant flash shone where the Reaper had been and Dei was forced to shield her eyes briefly.

"What was that?"

Guuvo'Hgahn, the vessel's pilot answered. "Unknown Ma'am, other ships are reporting their targets immobile."

* * *

Reaver knew something was wrong when the first burst of the signal came through the relay. The organics' fleet was half-destroyed in this system, and his craft had suffered comparatively few losses, but the slight tingle in his mind felt wrong. Without warning, the sensation blossomed into full-on agony, wracking every nerve and processing matrix with unimaginable pain.

The dreadnaught momentarily lost control of his systems, releasing jets of metal at random angles from his weapon arms. Other Reapers also loosed their ordnance without aiming, cutting into several of their brethren with devastating results. The pain subsided quickly, but the Reaper fleet had suffered significant losses in the brief period of incapacitation. They still outnumbered the organics, but some type of virus now crawled through their systems, slowing their reactions and weakening their shields.

* * *

The Normandy SR-2 shot through the Arcturus prime relay just as the virus hit the Reaper fleet in Sol. Shepard wasn't foolish enough to hope that the machine fleet would remain disabled for long, and used the brief window of vulnerability to have his battle-group burn a hole in the Reapers' defensive barricade. The Commander's ships barely had time to get out of firing range of the blockade before the enemy vessels came back on-line.

"Takes us to the main fight joker, there's nothing we can do against that." Shepard indicated the ships that they had just passed.

"Aye aye."

* * *

The Captain's eyes flamed, their silver luminescence burning through the pale blue of her visor. Netoa had yet to take a hit, and she wasn't going to let her craft be ordered off the battlefield until the enemy had been routed. Dei pointed to one of the Reapers on the display screen and the pilot nodded; he knew exactly what she wanted him to do.

Guuvo brought the gunship into a steep dive and rolled it sideways, barely evading an incoming ribbon of molten slag. Dei felt the vessel jerk hard to the left as her pilot's fingers deftly flew over the controls. Netoa slipped under the Reaper destroyer and swung around, bringing the ship's primary cannon to bear.

"Fire disruptors!" Dei's order was met by a shudder as the Netoa released a cloud of disruptor torpedoes. The missiles' contrails made a white veil in front of the small craft as they danced towards their designated marks. Brilliant blue flashes shone along the Reaper's prow, flaring and overloading its mighty shield system.

No sooner had the gunboat fired than a crimson stream of molten metal surged into its shields. Netoa shook violently as the beam cut through her kinetic barriers along the keel, spinning the ship.

Dei watched as her ship's assailant came into view, a tiny craft compared to its brethren, but still easily four times the size of her own. "All torpedoes! NOW!" She motioned at the screen, pointing to the offending ship.

200 instruments of destruction plumed out of the gunboat, lazily arcing to meet the designated target. The Netoa shook violently as the ordnance vaporized the Reaper, sending an electromagnetic shock through the ship.

"Shields are off-line, kinetic generators are not responding."

Without their shields even a glancing hit from another Reaper 'frigate' would end them. They were as good as dead. "All power to the engines, we ram that ship." Dei indicated the destroyer they had engaged.

"All power, aye." Guuvo's voice rang hollow, aware of her intentions. The gunboat accelerated towards its original target, engines redlining. A colossal tremor reverberated through each vessel's hull as the Netoa's reinforced bow pierced the Reaper's comparatively soft 'underbelly'.

"Fire the splitter, overcharge the capacitors." Five grueling seconds later, after every drop of the ship's power had been funneled into the primary cannon Dei's command was executed. The Reaper destroyer's upper armor blossomed outward as the quarian gunship loosed its coup de grace, radiating red light from the exit hole. The brilliant display increased in intensity as the Reaper's core overloaded before erupting into a cloud of plasma and molten metal.

Admiral Kiiro's heart sank as he witnessed the famed gunboat vaporized in an instant. A shudder gripped the Ocrid as one of the Reapers turned its weapons to target it. "Damage report!"

"Port kinetics are offline, primary weapons systems have lost 60 percent power. Engines not functional, no additional damage reported."

The Admiral saw the dreadnaught preparing another shot and closed his eyes, resigning himself to fate. _So, after everything that had happened, this was how it would end._

A blinding flash shown throughout the cabin and Jule felt a wave of heat wash over him.

* * *

The new ships vaguely resembled scorpions. Two long, curved barbs hooked around from the back of each vessel, extending past their prows. The reddish-brown color of each craft lent them an almost organic quality.

Narrow topaz beams flashed from each ship's spines, burning through the Reapers' kinetic barriers. A second volley of beam fire knifed into the ancient fleet's armor; cutting through meters of super dense material. One of the new arrival's vessels hailed the GDF forces; the voice on the end of its channel chattered and clicked, much like an insect.

* * *

Shepard watched the carnage streak past as the Normandy made a sharp turn, avoiding yet another Reaper beam. The thanix cannon replied with its own searing attack, chewing through the offending vessel. The Commander watched in grim satisfaction as the Reaper melted apart. _One more notch in the frigate's belt._

Joker whooped at the enemy ship's death, "Suck on that!"

A topaz lance of light caught Shepard's eyes and he ground his jaw. _There were still Collectors?_ What followed the beams caught the Spectre completely off guard. Rust colored ships rocketed past, firing as they went. Red beams greeted them, many taking several seconds to pierce the new vessels' shields.

Shepard's chagrin from a moment ago dissipated as new hope pulsed through his body. The memory of Noveria came swirling back. _A cold, dank laboratory, illuminated only by sickly blue mining lights, the asari matriarch lay sprawled on the floor before him, bathing in a river of her own blood. There, ahead of him in the tank, the insect queen rested, calmly awaiting his verdict._

_Could it truly be them? Had the queen returned to repay the mercy given her so long ago?_ John's reverie was broken by the image of a pointed insectoid head on the view screen. The alien rasped at him in a familiar series of clicks and chirps.

The rachni had returned.

* * *

The battle for Sol had given the GDF the morale boost they needed. Despite losing almost 16,000 ships, the galactic forces again outnumbered the Reaper armada, a success due largely to the timely arrival of their newfound allies.

Shepard looked once again at the number. The GDF was now 32,000 strong, including the Rachni vessels, but the Reaper fleets had 28,000 craft left, more than enough to destroy the GDF's remaining forces even with the virus present in their network. Victory through direct force was out of the question.

Admiral Kiiro stood to the Commander's left. The quarian officer had thought all lost when the light flashed thought the Ocrid's view-ports. He later learned that the light had come from one of the Rachni ships. He was the first in the debriefing room to speak. "We have certainly formed the most unique of alliances in the past weeks. It seems truly providential." He nodded to the rachni queen to his left. The large insectoid chattered and the asari standing next to her translated.

"We are here to honor a debt; our existence is due to the human's kindness."

Shepard acknowledged the remark with a dip of his head. "While I genuinely appreciate the help, we're still in a bad way. Our forces are insufficient to destroy the Reapers through strength in numbers. They've almost gotten control of the relays, but that's not even the biggest problem. When the virus spread through the Reaper fleet it also sent us data on the size of their forces. What we've been fighting is an advance guard."

Everyone's faces paled. Councilor Anderson was the first to speak. "Advance guard?"

"Evidently, the 'back door' that Sovereign made could only pull a small percentage of them through. That or they rarely send the entirety of their forces in during an invasion." Shepard explained.

Tevos' words caught in her throat. "Small- percentage, Commander?"

The Spectre nodded grimly. "On the order of five to six."

"Are you suggesting that there are 800,000 _more_ of them out there?"

Tali felt sick.

"A more accurate approximation would lie closer to 783,333 point three repeating." Legion chirped.

"How could Synn not have told us about this?" Anderson was livid.

"He may not have known, the Protheans weren't ready during the last 'harvest', the Reapers wouldn't have had to send their total strength." Legion observed.

Shepard raised a hand to forestall any further interruptions. "If- when they break through our firewalls, it's over. They can assign groups numbering in the tens of thousands to every major system we have and still have numbers to burn."

"So what?" Admiral Xen challenged. "We just lie down and die?"

The Commander shook his head, his face grim. _What he was about to suggest would result in the deaths of millions, perhaps tens of millions, and that was the best possible outcome._ Shepard's heart felt like stone. _There really was no other option._ "No. We deny the Reapers control of the relays. We destroy the Citadel."

* * *

Revision note:

**Well silly me, I thought there wasn't going to be anything to add to this chapter. Thankfully I've managed to get a significant bit of restructuring into the previous chapters enough to warrant the queen sized expansion that this one received. I'm hoping for an Emperor sized addition to 'Revelation' but we'll see what happens.**

* * *

Author's Note:

**(**_**Spoilers for this chapter ahead, (do not read if you haven't read the chapter)**_**.)**

**I really hated having that ship destroyed, since writing Haestrom; I've grown rather attached to her. I haven't killed off Kal'Reegar. Not explicitly. Until further notice, I'm leaving it up to each reader to decide whether or not he transferred from the ship prior to the battle.**

**Finally, while it's been refreshing to write some unique combat compared to what I've been writing, the next two chapters will return (largely) to ground engagements. Also, expect to see an old friend make an appearance…**


	52. Ep 10: Ch 7: Stronghold

**Chapter 51: Stronghold**

* * *

Almost every remaining vessel in the GDF was called to mass at the Jural-Kanat Alpha relay. The assault force would strike the Reaper fleet surrounding the Citadel while the landing craft dropped their troops aboard the station. The goal behind the Citadel's destruction was two-fold. The colossal relay's explosion would hopefully engulf the enemy fleet, greatly reducing their numbers and improving the GDF's chances in the long run.

The key objective, however, was to prevent the ancient starships from gaining control of the mass relay network and more importantly, the Citadel relay itself. If the Reapers gained control of the ancient gateway, they would be able to open the floodgates and hundreds of thousands more of their kind would enter the galaxy, sealing the fate of the Milky Way's inhabitants once and for all.

Reports from the geth that had been uploaded to the Citadel's computer matrices had revealed that the decision to destroy the ancient station had come none-too-soon. A group of Reapers had made it their unending task to gain control of the construct's system and were now only one day to a few hours away from achieving that end.

Ship to ship ordnance didn't possess the firepower necessary to damage, let alone destroy the ancient construct. To this end, Shepard and the Council had hand-picked teams of their best operatives to board the station, damage key structural points on the Presidium, and overload its core. Even with the best soldiers, the task would be a Herculean accomplishment. No one had ever successfully entered the Citadel core and survived. Despite hundreds of thousands of attempts and all of the curious that had managed to weasel their way into the station's depths, none had ever returned.

Resistance was expected to be heavy, not simply from the Reaper ships themselves -that issue would be addressed by the fleet- but from the civilian and military units aboard the station. By this point, any and all individuals not associated with the strike teams had to be considered hostile. The risk of allowing indoctrinated individuals into the teams was too great to treat them any other way.

According to Synn's final briefing, it was likely that the Reapers had deployed their own ground troops as well, adding to the already complicated nature of the mission. Shepard checked the slide on his X-72 "Dragon" Tactical Assault Shotgun. Satisfied that the weapon was in working order, the Spectre stowed it and looped a bandolier of grenades over his shoulder.

John watched as the rest of his team prepped. Tali made a set of adjustments to her omni tool and inserted a series of cryo-blast modules into her suit's arm pockets. Garrus twisted the caps off of his sniper scope, sighting through the device to ensure that it had no flaws. Grunt paced quietly over in the corner, occasionally jumping to keep his heart-rate elevated.

Legion, Mordin and Kasumi worked quietly in the back of the hold, prepping the team's explosive. Jacob and Jack sat a few feet from the two, silently exercising their biotics. Shepard was keenly aware of the persons missing. _Miranda remained in the office, alive and cognizant, but unable to fight beyond providing logistics support. Samara would have been behind the hammerhead, focusing her own biotics to ready herself for the battle. Zaeed would have cleaned his weapons for the umpteenth time, ensuring that every mechanism was in perfect condition._

_Thane._ The thought of the assassin brought back painful memories of the Collector shipyard. _Thane would have stood alone in the front of the cargo hold, praying to the drell's many deities._

Shepard huffed. _So many had died under his watch, his orders, for his sake. Richard Jenkins, Zaeed Massani, Samara T'Roal, Ashley Williams, Thane Krios. So many lives ended because of his lack of foresight, his inability to protect them._ Tali walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Somehow, she knew what was going through his mind.

"They aren't your fault, John. Let it go." Her voice was stern, assertive and still somehow soothing. "We'll reach the Citadel in thirty minutes. C'mon, it is time to pray."

* * *

Urdnot Wrex was chosen to lead Shepard's 'sister team'. The massive alien had pulled specific members from the various krogan clans, selecting them based on strength, force of will, and experience. Wrex watched as the milky blue gasses of the nebula surrounding the Citadel parted, revealing a seemingly solid black mass half as large as the station itself.

_The Reaper fleet._ Wrex's eyes narrowed as the memory of Sovereign filtered back. He, Shepard and Tali had torn through slews of geth and krogan alike as they fought their way up the presidium tower, watching as the Reaper dreadnaught scraped its arms along the massive ivory spire.

* * *

Shepard drew a deep breath and lifted a hand to the side of his helmet, triggering his mic's proximity sensor. _He was addressing the entirety of the Normandy's crew for what well might be the final time, but he felt no apprehension. The brief prayer minutes earlier had filled him with that familiar peace, that confidence borne of knowing that he were being watched over._

"All right everyone, ETA to the Citadel is fifteen minutes, if you have anything you're doing to prepare, wrap it up." He paused for a few moments to allow the crew to finish anything they were doing. "I won't lie to you. The Omega 4 relay, Ilos, Virmire, all of those were warm ups. This mission is the kingpin of the galaxy's survival. If we let the Reapers win this fight, it's all over.

"I can't speak for all of you, but I can guess that after all we've been through and the fact that you're all still on this ship, that you haven't given up hope. Neither have I. Back during the Omega 4 mission, I told The Illusive Man that I don't put my faith in chance. That's still true. I trust in someone infinitely wiser and stronger than I am.

"We've been through hell and back and we're about to pay it another visit, so strap in people, we're taking this fight to the Reapers."

Shepard cut the comm and switched to his team freq. "We're going in heavy everyone- just like Omega 4. Each of you should have an assault rifle and double up on thermal clips. Grunt, I need you to carry our demo charge."

The massive krogan jumped once and brought his fists together with a resounding thump. "Just so long as I get to fight."

Shepard nodded. "Garrus, I want you to take one of the particle beam rifles, bring your sniper too, but I want the option to hit them with multiple heavies if it comes down to it."

"You got it!" The turian offered a sharp nod.

Shepard surveyed the room's inhabitants, checking what gear they had. "Kasumi, ever handled a sniper rifle?"

The thief spun, obviously surprised by his query. "It's been a while… …a loooong while."

"Bring one anyways, better to have it and not need it."

* * *

Hundreds of small craft blasted towards the Citadel as the main fleet advanced. Most of the diminutive ships bore few if any passengers and were piloted solely by VIs. Many of these decoy craft were sent in first, giving the Reapers something to shoot at while the genuine landing craft made their approach.

Another wave of suicide craft, also piloted by VIs, blasted directly towards the machine fleet. Few of the flying bombs actually made it to their destinations, the Reapers were quick to identify the threat and respond accordingly.

With EDI's help, Joker plotted an in-system jump to the interior of the Citadel. The entire crew waited with baited breath as the stealth frigate leapt through space, bypassing the Reaper fleet entirely. Normandy exited the jump almost as soon as it had started, coming to a violent halt directly above the Presidium tower.

The Commander could see the towering forms of Reapers seemingly planted along the inner surfaces of the wards, dwarfing all of the high rise buildings that had taken hundreds of years to construct.

Shepard waited for the bay doors to open and punched the ignition key on the M-44 Hammerhead. Garrus, Tali and Legion were crammed into the seats around him. All four of the occupants felt the vehicle shake as its engines roared, propelling it towards the ominous white tower.

Tali watched the view-screen, her eyes flitting from point to point, hastily scrambling to identify potential threats. The Hammerhead's flight smoothed out as it reached the surface of the tower. Shepard checked the craft's Ladar and saw the blips representing the Kodiak shuttles trailing closely behind. The Commander could see the objective ahead: a small, rectangular black aperture in the smooth white tower's otherwise immaculate façade.

He guided the craft into the opening and quickly scanned the area for any hostiles. Tali keyed her omni-tool, triggering an auto-targeting system she'd installed the day before. Thankfully, the Hammerhead's VI had access to the full suite of scanning tools and was able to detect the presence of several life-signs nearby. The program uploaded the data to each of the team, including positional information, numbers and size of each organism.

* * *

Grunt huffed as he hoisted the explosive on his back. The thing was heavy, even for a krogan. Jack, Jacob and Kasumi were the first out of their Kodiak, forming a protective ring around the massive alien who bore their charge. Mordin followed closely behind, a modified grenade launched in his slender arms. The weapon was far less clinical than he would have preferred, but it was hard to lose an argument with explosives at your disposal.

"We're on the ground Shepard!" Kasumi intoned. She could see the Commander's signature in her HUD; he had already left the Hammerhead and was setting up a perimeter while the rest of the teams prepped. Moments later, a gruff voice grated over the comm.

"Echo team stands ready Commander."

"Copy that, we move in three. Delta out." Shepard's voice responded. "Kasumi, how's Grunt doing with the charge?"

The krogan snorted. "I'm fine."

The Infiltrator could barely suppress a smile as she relayed the message. Grunt's head snapped up and sampled the air, something had caught his attention.

"We've got company."

* * *

The new aliens reminded Shepard of a mix between a krogan and a mamba. The creatures' faces were divided into four massive scales, two comprising the jaw and another pair covering all but their eyes. The Spectre loosed another burst into one of the alien's shields, rapidly cutting the creature into a mess of bloody ribbons. _They may look fierce, but they die just like any other._

Shepard watched as the last of the creatures fell, then signaled his team forward. Tali and Jacob sprinted to opposite sides of the hall, each finding a solid metal alcove in which they could take cover. Once the two were in position, Shepard signaled Garrus. The turian and the Spectre moved up, taking a forward position as Jacob and Tali covered their advance.

* * *

Omen was nearing his objective. In a few more minutes, he would have control of the Citadel relay and the relay network simultaneously. It would take a few minutes for the Citadel to 'spin up' its charging cycle. Omen and his brethren tasked on gaining access to the station's central computers had met with harsh resistance from the geth operating throughout the network, but even the robust security provided by multiple AIs hampering their advance was no match for multiple Reapers hacking the same areas at once.

The geth firewalls were failing, slowly but surely, it was only a question of time. The sooner he broke through the digital barricade, the fewer losses would be inflicted on his kin fighting just outside the Citadel's protective arms. As soon as the Reapers' true strength was unleashed the battle would be over.

* * *

Wrex's team had no problems carrying their charge. When one krogan grew tired of carrying the device, it was traded to another. Even as the team's leader, Wrex was not exempt. Right now it was his turn.

The Clan Leader adjusted the ordnance even as he caught the scent of more hostiles. Something about their appearance vaguely reminded him of a krogan. Urdnot Hrut had witnessed first-hand the incredible strength of the creatures' bite. The aberration had bitten clean through the krogan's arm, leaving him with little more than a bloody stump.

The new batch of aliens slithered around the corner, rifles already blazing. Wrex ducked aside. Though he was loath to stay out of the fight, the explosive on his back took precedence. The krogan watched as his brothers ran headlong into the fight, their powerful muscles flexing with each stride.

Wrex barely had time to react as one of the reptilian creatures leapt straight over the fray, landing behind him on all fours like some strange cat. The alien leapt at him, its jaws snapped inches from his face. The Battle-Master swung his arm up, catching the assailant by the throat. He smiled in satisfaction as the alien dropped its rifle to clutch at the viselike grip that was effortlessly crushing its trachea.

Wrex felt his opponent's cartilage give out and smelled the blood welling from its collapsed windpipe. A scratching sounded from the ceiling as he cast the alien's lifeless form to the cold metal of the bulkhead. An instant later, Urdnot's clan leader was buried under a mountain of corusahd infantry.

* * *

They were almost at the rendezvous. Shepard rounded the corner, sidearm in one hand and SMG in the other. Just as he cleared the edge of the wall, one of the lizard-like creatures dove for him. Before Shepard could respond, the creature had swallowed his forearm. The alien started to bite down. Shepard was momentarily shocked. _It was actually bending his armor!_

The human's reflexes kicked in, causing him to squeeze the trigger on the pistol that was now halfway down the aberration's throat. The slug shattered half of the corusahd's spinal column, exiting from an apple-sized hole in its back. A snort of disgust emanated from the Commander as he peeled the creature from his arm.

"Shepard!" Garrus called, drawing his attention. John looked down the hall to see a mass of the strange aliens being flung around by a very angry, very large krogan. One of the creatures managed to get its maw around the krogan's leg, only to be forcibly removed as its target exhibited his prodigious strength by ripping its jaw _off_. The krogan tossed the mutilated alien aside and stood panting in a veritable ocean of blood.

At this distance, Shepard couldn't identify the individual and decided to play it safe. "Omaha!" He bellowed the challenge.

The counter sign came in a deep, familiar voice. "Normandy!"

Shepard smiled, _Urdnot Wrex._

xXx

Meeting up with the krogan squad was a welcome break. Grunt was especially pleased that he no longer had to carry the explosive without reprieve. Shepard still led the two teams, Wrex directly behind him. They had traveled into the maintenance areas of the presidium, making their way towards one of the station's primary generators. The journey proved most difficult for the krogans, as their massive frames forced them to push past various pipes and wires, often having to break the obstructions to proceed.

Fifteen minutes after they had entered the cramped quarters, Shepard held up a fist, bringing the 'convoy' to an unceremonious halt. Tali saw her husband's face, illuminated by alternating bands of light and dark. He was standing over a grate of some kind. "Wrex, you smell anything?"

The krogan battle-master inhaled deeply, tasting the air for anything out of the ordinary. "Lots of Collectors, more of those lizard things," he paused as if confused. "Something else, no, many other things. Dozens- hundreds maybe. I…" Shepard watched in the dim light as Wrex squinted his eyes. "None of them smell familiar."

Shepard shook his head and drew his pistol. He fired four shots at the floor beneath him and pulled the grating away. Tali saw him seemingly sink through the metal floor as he lowered himself out of the maintenance shaft. A moment later, the Commander's strong voice echoed up into the corridor. "All clear for the moment, hurry up and get down here."

* * *

No sooner had Shepard finished his statement than he was struck from behind. Wrex pushed past Tali, who had jumped forward at the sound, and swung his arm out, hitting the metal around the vent and expanding the exit by a good foot and a half. Tali saw the krogan's massive form slip from sight before following closely behind.

Tali was completely unprepared to witness the sight in front of her. Her husband was locked into a hand-to-hand duel with someone who had helped them on multiple occasions. Citadel Security Captain Armando Bailey.

* * *

Omen felt the geth firewalls cave and 'tasted' the Citadel's central computer for the first time in thirty cycles. The Reaper let his mind pour into the station's systems, cementing his foothold before beginning his final task. He could feel the geth trying to force him out, but his brethren had that problem addressed.

The ancient starship waited another few seconds and began to warm the Citadel relay's power cycle. The entire station groaned for a moment and shook slightly as the generators began their spin up protocols. Omen felt a wave of satisfaction roll over him. _It had been almost fifteen million years since the Reapers had been forced to call upon their true strength, but the enemy had put up a fierce resistance. Regardless, the organics were finished, the cycle had begun again._

* * *

Revision note:

**Captain Bailey's fate was left in the air in the original draft of the story, partly thanks to negligence and partly due to laziness. It shall be concluded in the next chapter, and I hope to also intensify the suspense.**

* * *

Original Author's Note:

**The Reaper war is at its apex, only 2 chapters to go before the story ends!**


	53. Ep 10: Ch 8: Revelation

**Chapter 52: Revelation**

* * *

Wrex and Tali were fending off several indoctrinated civilians as Shepard wrestled against Bailey. Evidently, the Reapers had figured out what the team was up to and had no intentions of allowing them to continue unopposed. The absence of Collectors and corusahd was somewhat perplexing given their ubiquitous presence in the earlier areas that the teams had traversed, but the more pressing issue was to subdue the immediate threat.

Shepard grabbed Bailey's knife hand, twisting it to point the blade away from both of them. The C-sec officer snarled and swung his other fist, slamming it into Shepard's helmet. The Commander felt the blow dully transfer through the armor's composite as Bailey released the knife to launch an all out assault with both fists.

In his crazed state, the officer's defenses were flawed at best, and Shepard only had to lever two blows to the man's abdomen to send him to the cold bulkhead, dead to the world. The Commander caught sight of a shimmering in the air, and nearly launched a warp in its direction when the apparition materialized into a black cloaked figure. Kasumi landed a punch to the back of her target's head and the batarian slumped to the ground.

By this point the rest of the team had made it through the ventilation shaft and had joined the Commander on the ground floor. The few remaining civilians were easily dispatched by the Commander's team.

A long, wide corridor stretched out in front of them, occasionally split into two pathways by tall, glass walls. Strange holographic symbols scrolled up and down the crystalline surfaces as the team advanced. Red light from the characters' various shapes gave the hall an unearthly glow.

A few moments later, Shepard saw the end of the hall, roughly thirty meters distant. The room ahead bore several waist high walls, most sporting control panels or display monitors of some sort, and shimmering in their characteristic orange and green hues. Several large octagonal pillars reached twenty feet to the ceiling, each easily a meter and a half across.

The first signs of resistance appeared when the team had just reached the entrance. Dozens of Collector and corusahd foot soldiers appeared from behind cover positions, their beam weapons lashed out in concert, enough of them to instantly vaporize one of the krogan on the team. Shepard immediately projected a biotic barrier across the width of the hall as the team backed against the walls for cover.

Red and gold lances seared into the barrier sparking and screeching. Shepard felt the impacts through his hands and knew the barrier would be short lived. Thankfully, Garrus, Legion, and Kasumi had already taken the initiative and were setting to work with their sniper rifles. Shepard heard the crack of Goto's 'Viper' sniper rifle and the thief's surprise a moment later. "Huh, guess I still got it."

"Thin 'em out as fast as you can, I can't hold this much longer."

None of the team offered a reply, save to loose whatever long range weaponry they had at the enemy position. The volume of incoming fire had only slightly decreased when the Commander's biotic field gave out, allowing a hail of rifle and beam fire into the corridor. Tali's omni-tool blinked twice and flashed a warning.

"John, I'm reading major power surges-" The quarian's voice was cut off by the monstrous roar of impossibly large machinery. The entire structure seemed to tremble under their feet and much of the incoming fire went askew.

* * *

The hairs on the back of Hackett's neck stood on end as he saw the fins on the ends of the Citadel wards extending. Faint blue tendrils wisped from the tips of each arm as they came together, sealing the station into its compact, protected formation. The ancient construct appeared to rotate on its axis and the arms began to separate, long blue arcs of electricity spanning the gaps between the panels.

_It was over, the Reapers were activating the relay._

* * *

Although the station's artificial gravity and internal compensators masked a large amount of the feeling, Shepard could feel his insides shift when the station began to rotate. Static electricity seemed to wash through the corridor and the room beyond, briefly scrambling his HUD. Strange sounds began to pulse through the chamber and Tali shouted something about the energy readings being orders of magnitude more powerful than her omni-tool could accurately calculate.

Legion, who had not stopped firing its sniper rifle, attempted to say something, but its voice was drowned out by the monstrous cacophony being generated by the station.

* * *

Blue and silver energy danced in a web across the outer surface of the presidium, forming a net in the vastness of space not unlike the webs of light on the bottom of a pool. Hackett's stomach churned as a brilliant flash of light erupted from the station, projecting a corkscrewing tunnel of energy from its central ring. The energy mass seethed and twisted as though angry; the light shining from its center intensifying as the Citadel shook.

The first of the Reapers to pass through came in ones, then twos, then small, single digit clusters. The Admiral felt his will to fight quickly draining as the enemies' numbers mounted in the tens, then hundreds and quickly into the thousands.

The brilliant energy of the relay was soon subsumed by the sheer density of the cloud of Reaper craft that poured through. _**"Our numbers will darken the sky of every world."**_

Stephen Hackett turned his eyes back to the battle, the largest of the Reapers, Genesis, sat in the middle of the fleet, patiently picking at targets as they dared near it. _Minutes ago, the Reaper had seemed to be struggling to stay alive, now, it seemed almost possessed._

* * *

Shepard heard the station straining and knew what was happening. _The true might of the Reapers was being unleashed on the galaxy. For the first time since the battle on Elysium, the Commander felt true despair. Losing members of his team, facing Thane, stopping Sovereign, these had struck fear into him, had wracked his heart with grief, but he had always persevered, always pushed ahead. Now, an enemy of Olympian proportions had begun, merely _begun _to show its true power, and it was effortlessly thwarting their efforts. The thought was crippling._

_Why was he trying? He could think of a dozen reasons to give up now: destroying this station meant killing millions of civilians who hadn't even been evacuated yet; there was no possible way they could destroy that many Reapers… The list went on._

_He could hear various squad members shouting to each other, trying to keep their fire coordinated on targets of greatest importance._

A small, quiet thought interrupted his silent contemplation. **Where do you get your strength, Shepard?**

_Time seemed to stop. Everything stood still. It felt as though someone had paused a holo vid and he could walk out through the fire, touch each of the combatants, sniff the smoke and ozone in the air. He saw Tali, Garrus, Wrex, Legion, Kasumi, Jacob, Jack, Mordin, Grunt, the rest of his team, the ones that had fallen._

**Where do you get your strength?**

_From You, Lord. I get my strength from You._

* * *

The new wave of Reapers sat in space, just inside the Citadel, seemingly dormant, and Genesis watched them. The massive forces involved in the relay jump necessitated that they shut down primary systems to prevent damage, and even ships as advanced as they had a relatively long spin-up cycle. Genesis detected Harbinger's comm relay powering up, and it took him only a moment to realize what was happening. _**NO!**_

Too late, he tried to change course to intercept and block the signal. Harbinger's hull quaked, casting off panels and arcs of violet electricity. Genesis watched, powerless to stop it, as the new fleet received the signal, he heard the screams as the virus tore into their minds, felt their pain as the program ate into their core systems.

* * *

_I get my strength from You._ Slowly, the battlefield seemed to come back alive and everything began moving at normal speed again. _There was no time!_ Before any of his team could react, Shepard's body was wreathed in emerald flame and he blasted from the hall's entrance into the middle of the courtyard where the Reaper ground troops were entrenched.

The Commander's shotgun thundered once and sheared a ragged hole in the chest of one of the corusahd. One of the Collector assassin drones decided to close the distance with the human and was rewarded with a crescent kick powerful enough to fracture its chitinous skin and send it hurtling several feet into one of the supporting pillars.

Shepard heard a shout and turned in time to see the rest of the team charge the enemy position. The first of the team to reach the Commander was a krogan with a very recently healed stump for an arm. The Urdnot warrior sighted on a nearby Collector and drilled a cluster of tight holes in its skull with a well placed burst of rifle fire.

Another of the krogan fired his shotgun into a group of corusahd as he vaulted behind cover. Two of the aliens dropped, but not before one of them had trained its energy weapon at the krogan. An instant later, one of the Collectors' assassin drones dropped the warrior with a sustained burst.

A trio of cryo blasts detonated around the enemy position as Shepard sprinted for the corner nearest a massive bulkhead, laying into a nearby Collector with his assault rifle. Moments later, all but three of the Reaper ground troops shattered as carefully targeted shots shattered their frozen bodies.

* * *

Genesis looked at his brother, seemingly oblivious to the battle raging around him. The Reapers' reinforcements were paralyzed, a temporary condition at worst, but sufficient to allow the few potshots being fired in their direction to have significant effect.

A signal pulsed from deep inside the station. _The Core was being breached!_

* * *

Grunt and Wrex strained at the door. Shepard watched as the massive aliens flexed and groaned, the metal refusing to give. Rifle fire began to echo throughout the room as a fresh wave of Collectors and corusahd filtered into view, opening up with their own weapons. Shepard patted the shoulders of the two krogan at the door, causing them to grudgingly relinquish their efforts before returning to the defensive line. "LEGION, TALI, KASUMI! GET THAT DOOR OPEN!"

The three techs blitzed across the short open space between the semi-circle of soldiers and the door. Legion faced the bulkhead's interface, rapidly typing on the holographic command panel. Tali and Kasumi flanked the geth, pointing their weapons outward to cover it.

Shepard sighted on the aliens entrenched in the machinery and opened fire. "Hurry up with that door!"

* * *

The new Reapers seemed to be incapacitated; a blessing that Admiral Hackett was not willing to question or depend on. As soon as they began to wake up, the GDF would have no choice but to retreat or face utter annihilation. At the moment, he would focus his efforts on destroying as many of the squid-shaped bastards as humanly possible.

* * *

Bullets whipped through the air, leaving needle thin streaks of blue behind them. Muzzle flashes and grenades punctuated the chamber's otherwise gray lighting. Shepard watched as a third krogan fell, withering under a focused mass of weapons fire.

"Get that door open! We're getting swamped over here!" Shepard fired another blast from his shotgun, ripping a cluster of jagged holes into a nearby Collector and sending it to the ground.

"We have hit a block at firewall 00374. Attempting to bypass." Legion's monotone response came.

Indoctrinated civilians began to join the enemy's ranks. Few of them possessed firearms, but even Shepard hesitated for a moment before opening fire on them. _There had been times when He had been forced to kill civilians that had opened fire on him, but such instances, were rare._ The Commander's reflexes drove his aim as he dropped a nearby turian, then a Collector, then a crazed asari.

Tali saw a quarian vault over a trio of corpses, wildly firing a heavy pistol in her direction. He couldn't have been far into his twenties, his environment suit indicated his status as a pilgrim.

Tali sighted on the young man but couldn't bring herself to pull the trigger. One of his shots connected with her shields, the slug from his standard pistol barely even registering on the barriers' indicator. The pilgrim was charging her position when a birdlike warble echoed through the chamber and an obsidian black arm speared through his chest.

Tali stumbled back as her eyes follower the razor-tipped limb to the body of a praetorian. Two pairs of ice-blue particle beams lanced towards her and she barely managed to roll behind cover as her shield indicators blinked to zero.

xXx

Shepard cursed under his breath. He _was about as sick of fighting praetorians as it was possible to be. Thankfully, this time they were facing the beast with a large team instead of a four-man squad._

"JACK! JACOB! WREX! WARP IT!"

Four biotic fields twisted into the praetorian's armored carapace, their combined effect proved sufficient to crack the beast's plating. A cry of rage sounded from the monster's right, drawing John's attention. Grunt had torn the head from one of the Collector drones and was currently using it as a cudgel. The Commander watched for a moment as the repurposed skull slammed into the praetorian, actually splitting it's carapace. The monster howled as Grunt jumped on it, getting a firm grip on both of the fissures in its armor.

Ice-blue beams lanced from the monster's eyes as it flailed, the black marks left behind the weapons scored swirling patterns around the room. Several of the Reapers' ground-troops proved unfortunate enough to be caught in the path of the searing columns of energy. The sapphire light stopped for a few seconds as the praetorian redoubled its efforts to shake the krogan, but to no avail. The creature reared up, effectively shielding its assailant from his allies.

"Legion, hurry up!" Shepard shouted as he fired a burst at the Collector assault platform's underbelly.

The geth's reply was partially obscured by the sounds of gunfire, but the Commander was able to ascertain that the platform had almost completed its task. Grunt's laughter could be heard along with a bloodcurdling snapping sound and black chips of praetorian armor spinning through the air.

Biotic energy flowed from the creature like pale amber flames as its skull seemed to widen. The Commander almost let himself get angry at the thought of Harbinger possessing the beast until he realized that Grunt was actually pulling its armor apart. The beast toppled to the ground and shook vigorously, its krogan passenger swinging wildly from his grip on its obsidian blue armor.

The monster screamed and again fired its particle beams as Grunt continued to pry its carapace into three pieces. The pale sapphire beams raked across Jack's position, then back again just as she popped up from behind cover to fire her assault rifle at a corusahd foot soldier.

Shepard felt the blood drain from his face as the biotic was burned in half, the azure energy weapon cooking clean through her torso.

"LEGION! What the hell is taking you!"

* * *

Genesis shuddered as another slug punched into his thick hide. _He was assuming too many tasks at once, even with his hundreds of subroutines; he was, after all, only one mind. The enemy fleet was rapidly dwindling, but the ships that the aliens had sent were a secondary concern._ _Protecting Harbinger was no longer a viable action; he had to devote all of his resources to preventing the Citadel's destruction. The AI against which he was struggling seemed unnaturally adept at cracking his firewalls. If the geth penetrated the electronic defenses, defeat was inevitable._

_There was still hope, however; if the geth were destroyed..._ Genesis pulsed an encrypted transmission to several of his brothers, signaling then to shield him with their bodies, he needed peace of mind to fight the AI.

* * *

The intelligence that fought against them was formidable, but not invulnerable. The 1,183 programs inside Legion's platform had a singular advantage despite the other's extensive knowledge of the Citadel's computers. They outnumbered it. Legion delegated groups of itself to attack some nodes while others snuck into the vulnerable spots created by the other's inability to combat multiple systems at once. A fresh foothold opened up and the AI wedged a digital piton in the vulnerable junction, securing its new position in the network. The geth were making progress.

* * *

Grunt heaved one last time and the praetorian's armor split with a thunderous crack. With the sudden release of force, the krogan found himself thrown to the floor several feet away. A trio of grenades detonated in the Collector's now exposed insides, sending it swerving into columns and screaming while biotic energy flowed from its body along with the black blood and cybernetic fluids that had been contained within it.

With a massive thud, the assault platform collapsed to the ground, prompting Mordin to stop for an instant to admire his handiwork.

Shepard _almost_ allowed himself a sigh of relief when he heard the massive bulkhead doors rumble apart.

"Shepard Commander, we have achieved access."

Even as the geth spoke, the team's right flank collapsed, a wave of corusahd infantry overwhelming the remaining krogan. Shepard retreated towards the door, ordering his team to do likewise. A series of white trails appeared in the air, frosty spikes growing out from their lengths.

Tali triggered the blast and a crystalline wave of super-cooled gasses enveloped the reptilian soldiers. Mordin proved quick on the draw, loosing an incineration module programmed with a radius detonation. The temperature differential caused many of the snap-frozen aliens to explode, sending icy spikes into their remaining allies. The team pulled back behind the door as the massive bulkhead slammed shut behind them.

Shepard halted for a moment to catch his breath. "Charges… where are the charges?"

"Right here." Wrex hefted both of the explosives.

"Good. Headcount?"

Tali, Grunt, Garrus, Mordin, Legion, Kasumi, Jacob, Wrex and a single krogan signaled themselves as combat effective. Shepard took in another deep breath. "Right, let's get-"

The Commander stopped as he caught sight of the amber-lit wall opposite the bulkhead. "Holy…"

"…Shit" Jacob finished.

Thousands, no, tens of thousands of large glass modules sat recessed into the wall, each bearing a strange and different alien life-form. A pair of Reaper-shaped glyphs sat nestled above each pod, unique in design to the individual contained inside. More than half were illuminated in red; the others were unlit or dim. It only took a moment to notice the difference between the active and inactive units.

All of the individuals in the unlit pods appeared to have suffered massive physical trauma, as though they had exploded from the inside. Directly in front of the team, an especially large module displayed its light in what looked like a miniature version of Harbinger, the red light faint above the cell.

The creature inside bore several lesions, all of them fresh and weeping fluid. Shepard walked up to the case, mesmerized. The creature seemed aware of his presence and feebly attempted to move. Now that he was closer, the Commander noticed hundreds of small tubes and wires leading from the wall behind it into the back of the creature's skull and spine.

The icon above the pod flared momentarily and a slight buzzing sounded through the Spectre's head, only to subside a second later.

"**We… …are… …Har… …bin… …ger."**

* * *

Genesis sensed the aliens in the core and his spirits sank. _42 million years and now he would end like this. The aliens had all but won. The Reaper seethed in rage. Even if he were fated to die, he would make an example of the human who had done this._ The Re-seeder ship positioned himself over Harbinger's floating husk and rammed his weapon arms deep into his brother's armor, leeching the Collector possession programs from the other Reaper's systems.

* * *

"Keelah, could it really be…" Tali let her words trail off.

Mordin had already deduced the meaning behind the complex. "Reapers harvest organics, reproduce via obtained organic material. Preserve single individual from selected race to serve as master control, as, _mind_, for new Reaper." The salarian drew a sharp breath, noting the multitude of alien species represented in the chamber. "Number present insufficient to serve as minds of _entire_ Reaper fleet, likely more buried in Citadel wards. Impressive. Unexpected. Wish we had more time to study."

The wheels were turning in Shepard's head. _The Reapers had likely chosen the best and brightest of the races they'd harvested to serve as their newest addition._ "Preserve Shepard's body if possible." He quoted, recalling the words Harbinger had echoed through possessed drones on the battlefield dozens of times over. "They wanted _me_! They wanted _me_ to be the next Reaper. That was why Velarn- why _Harbinger_ had the bounty put on my head. It wasn't because I was a threat; it was because I was _chosen_."

The Commander looked at the pods embedded in the wall. Even as his team eyed at him questioningly he stripped a grenade from his bandolier and stuck it to Harbinger's pod.

"We kill these, we kill the Reapers… The fleet has a chance…" The Commander stepped back, just as a fresh series of holes erupted in the alien's skin. John reeled as black gore and electricity spilled from the new wounds.

"**Genesssiiiissss!"** The Reaper seethed.

Another, deeper, voice echoed from somewhere in the chamber. **"They have breached the core."**

Shepard was briefly confused by the exchange, but remembered the task at hand. He backed away to a safe distance from Harbinger's pod and triggered the grenade. The glass panel shielding the Reaper's 'mind' fractured and erupted into a cloud of sparkling dust. The Commander saw the already faint light above the pod flicker and shut off.

"Legion, Tali, get those charges set, everyone else, let's roast some Reapers."

* * *

More than half of the GDF had been annihilated. Another quarter of its vessels were severely damaged. The Reaper advance guard had sustained a third of its number in losses, but that would soon change. The ancient machines' reinforcements began to stir, the lingering effects of the virus still impairing their spin up cycles, but not enough to paralyze them altogether.

Admiral Jule watched, a shiver traveling the length of his spine as the enemy craft unfolded their weapon arms in an eerie display. The whole scene was surreal. With their arms extended, the enemy fleet seemed to double in size. Slowly, as though drawn by an unseen force, the mass of Reapers began their advance; the lengths of their armada expanding like an incoming tide.

A heartbeat later, Harbinger's hull fractured into dozens of pieces, violet shafts of light shone through the gaps as the Reaper detonated in a blast powerful enough to consume three of his nearest brethren. The quarian admiral turned towards the flash of light, unaware of what had just occurred, but the Reapers nearest Harbinger were badly damaged.

Even as one of the oldest among them was consumed in flame, the Reapers' reinforcements continued their charge. Red stars formed at the tips of the ancient vessels' slag projectors- and then winked out. Several Reapers started shaking and throwing off crimson ropes of electricity. Seams appeared in their hulls and cast out jets of amethyst flame, shining ghostly blue light on their nearby brothers.

Jule would have rubbed his eyes to see if he were dreaming were it not for his faceplate.

* * *

A cataract of orange tinted glass rained down around the ground team; the crystalline shards accompanied by the dull thuds of grenade detonations above them. The entire Citadel seemed to quake and the status indicators of the Reapers in the affected pods winked out.

Despite his satisfaction, Shepard knew that they didn't have enough ordnance to extinguish the entirety of the Reaper fleets like this. _They had to stick with the plan._

"Tali, Legion, hurry it up!"

"Almost set John."

The Commander affixed another set of grenades to the ground level pods, careful not to waste the explosives on unlit chambers.

* * *

Hackett watched in awe as dozens more of the ancient starships spewed purple fire, their hulls twisting and contorting as they were pulled apart by some unseen force. The crew of the Admiral's ship also stared, dumbfounded by the sudden turn of events. Blue-white flames licked between the enemy craft, searing into their brother ships.

_A self-destruct protocol? No, the Reapers had no reason to- unless the virus…_ Hackett dismissed the idea, _The virus was already present in the fleet, detonating themselves wouldn't-_ The main body of Reaper craft again began to advance. Hackett snapped from his brief stupor. _Whatever had just happened wouldn't be enough to save them, the only option now was to fall back._ "Retreat! Tell the fleet to break contact! Repeat, disengage!"

* * *

Shepard and Tali were the last ones out the door as the charges began their excruciating countdown. Dozens of Collectors and corusahd were waiting for the team as they raced to the evac zone. John ran full tilt, shotgun in one hand, assault rifle in the other. He fired hastily, not caring how many shots missed, but still conscious of his allies' positions. Tali kept pace with her husband, her powerful legs allowing her to match him stride for stride.

Shepard swore under his breath as the bulkhead in front of the team snapped shut, denying their primary exit. Without hesitation, the entire group made a sharp turn, heading for one of their alternate pick-up points.

"Shepard to Normandy, rendezvous evac Bronco! Able is a no-go, repeat, Able is a no-go! ETA is four minutes!"

Joker's response was immediate. "Copy that Commander, pick-up at evac Bronco."

* * *

Joker had hidden the Normandy along the inner surface of one of the wards, going so far as to blast a hole in one of the station's skyscrapers to hide in, shielding the craft from cursory scans. The relay's rotation had caused some minor damage to the warship's hull, but it was superficial. Moreau navigated the frigate from its hiding place as soon as he heard the Commander hail him.

"Shepard to Normandy, rendezvous evac Bronco! Able is a no-go, repeat, Able is a no-go! ETA is four minutes!"

Joker gunned the engines, tasking EDI to monitor the space around them as he blasted for the rendezvous. "Copy that Commander, pick-up at evac Bronco." As the frigate neared the drop-off point the pilot caught sight of a shimmering mass on the platform. _They couldn't be…_

"Uh, Commander, there are a _ton_ of Collectors out on the landing pad, I'll see what I can do to thin them out, but it's gonna be hot!"

The Normandy swooped low over the mass of insectoid infantry and EDI began slicing into their ranks with the Normandy's GARDIAN turrets. The frigate slowed to a halt roughly a thousand feet away from the enemy foot-soldiers, busily burning through their number as fast as its anti-missile systems could fire.

Joker was violently thrown to the side as the Normandy took a hit from a stray slag beam. "EDI…" the pilot ground his teeth against the pain, one or more of his ribs had likely fractured under the strain. "What was-"

The warship took another hit and the pilot saw the shield indicators blink down to three percent.

* * *

The X-72 ejected a cluster of tungsten darts into another Collector, blasting a crater in its chest the size of a watermelon. Shepard heard the weapon beep for another thermal clip, tossed it into the air and caught it by the slide, firing unsteadily with his assault rifle the whole time. With a quick pump of his arm, the shotgun expelled the spent clip and chambered the next.

Shepard tossed the weapon in the air again, caught it by the handle, and loosed another blast, catching one of the brown aliens in the shoulder and spinning it back. Tali's Phalanx pistol thundered, removing the alien's occipital crest and spilling its brains. Ahead of them, Wrex and Grunt charged in tandem, flinging their enemies aside with startling ease. Garrus and Legion sprinted just behind the krogan, picking off targets of opportunity.

Shepard caught sight of the landing pad at their extraction point and his heart sank. The Normandy's GARDIAN turrets had carved a swath through several dozen Collector drones, but there were easily over a hundred left. The stealth craft was off in the distance, busily dodging and weaving in a serious dogfight with a Reaper frigate.

The entire team came to a stop as they witnessed the odds before them.

Tali felt her stomach churn at the sight of the aliens covering their final hope of survival. Every last one of them was blackened and covered in cracks emanating ruby light. _Reaper_ _possessed_. She started to pray.

"**Your journey ends here, Shepard. I. Am. GENESIS!"**

"Like hell it does." The Commander's teeth grated together and his lips parted in a scowl as he drew the M920 Cain from his back. A trio of sharp clicks sounded as the weapon completed its decompaction cycle. Tali recognized the spinning topaz spears of light at the weapon's muzzle as it readied its blast.

The Collector infantry on the platform advanced on the fire-team intent on nothing short of the utter destruction of the one defiant human standing with the heavy weapon. Jacob and Wrex each focused their biotic energies into a single barrier to shield the Commander as the Cain's muzzle gathered a blinding red glow. Particle beams and assault rifle fire raked into the shield, taxing the abilities of the two biotics to their limits.

The barrier gave out just as the Cain fired; its blazing projectile pierced the shimmering field of blue that had protected its wielder milliseconds before. The first Collector to be impacted by the shell was hurled back, a perfect hole carved in its torso; then the entire battlefield turned white.

The M920's explosive round detonated in a fireball large enough to consume the landing platform in a haze of searing heat. The Collectors nearest the center of the blast were instantaneously atomized; their brethren just outside the radius were violently thrown into the railing and walls around the docking area. Small rivers of melted metal ran along the surface of the pad, draining off through the hole in the center where the explosion had boiled through the bulkhead.

Garrus and Mordin opened fire with their heavy weapons, neither wanting to waste time clearing out the surviving Collectors. The rest of the team joined in, cutting into the few drones not totally obliterated by the blast. Tali rushed over to Shepard's side; the Commander had taken several hits in the brief time between the Cain's firing and detonation. The quarian ran her hands across the human's scarred and pitted armor, finding a frightening number of breaches.

Shepard stirred even as the Citadel shook from a demolition charge somewhere in its depths. The Reaper that had engaged the Normandy trembled and leaked amethyst flames before imploding into a shuttle sized ball.

A few moments later, the Normandy swooped in. "Commander, we've got ninety seconds 'till the Citadel turns us all extra crispy! No offense, but get your ass onboard, Sir."

Tali had to carry the Commander the remaining fifty feet to the stealth frigate, his body nearly dead weight in her arms. _Just like Omega 4, he had done this for her._

* * *

Joker frantically sealed the airlock as the last of the ground team tumbled inside. EDI had already plotted the vector and prepped the jump out of the massive station by the time the pilot had taken his seat.

"Eighteen seconds Jeff."

"I got it." Alliance Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau punched in the key and the Normandy catapulted to FTL speed, gaining as much distance as possible from the ancient relay.

Tali watched her husband as he struggled to his feet, pulling himself up with the aid of Joker's pilot chair.

* * *

Genesis' ravaged body felt the reverberations as the aliens' charges detonated, tearing a series of holes in the bowels of the presidium. The Collectors he had possessed caused severe damage when destroyed; now he was unable to move, forced to float and watch. Reapers all around him detonated as their links to their minds were severed. The station groaned, unable to withstand the shift in stresses on the metal. Genesis could _feel_ the station rending itself apart, signaling the deathblow to his kind. _All because of this human they called Shepard._ The Reaper scoffed. _To end like th-_ In that moment, the explosion's fiery wrath reached Genesis' pod and his life was extinguished.

* * *

Commander Jonathan David Shepard managed to pull himself into the cockpit in time to see the explosion begin. Not all of the teams had been successful, nor had any of the charges been armed at the exact same time, but enough of the devices blew to cause the damage necessary to rend the ancient station apart.

The Commander felt tears pooling in his lower eyelids as the first tongues of flame licked through the presidium's silver skin. _It was over. After all this time, all the people who had died, all the worlds that had been lost. After the heartache of so many mothers mourning the loss of their sons, after the terror that so many had felt, it was finally over._

Rolling waves of crimson heat billowed out of the support pylons attaching the wards to the presidium ring. Several more Reapers began detonating as the ancient station was rent apart. Pale blue seams erupted along the smooth outer surface of the construct, breathing lambent flames across the dull metal. More of the Reaper vessels exploded as the fissures in the station's arms expanded, confirming Mordin's earlier guess. Red began to mix with the sapphire flames, creating an amethyst haze that gathered strength as each scar in the Citadel relay grew. In a heartbeat, the entire station was wreathed in indescribable heat; the brilliant rays of light complemented by the plumes of violet flame produced by columns of Reapers as they evaporated into molecules.

* * *

Silence watched his brethren being violently torn apart as the 'entangled' particles that maintained their connections to their minds were sundered with thousands of megatons of energy. He was one of the first Reapers; his mind was contained within his hull, a design flaw that had cost him in terms of combat performance, taking up dozens of resources to keep his organic brain alive. Now, he was receiving the sole benefit offered by his different construction.

The Citadel's destruction would not cause his annihilation, but the virus remained in his systems, still corroding his mind and eating through his thoughts. In a century's time, he too would be a thing of memory. The Old One watched with detached interest as the brilliance from the Citadel's explosion began to fade, along with the last traces of his kin.

None of the other original Reapers had survived the blast, their origins a mystery to any organic, but not to him. An ancient war had nearly destroyed his creators, their 'scorched earth' policy eventually bringing about their own demise. In a desperate bid to protect their legacy, they had created the first of his kind, avatars for the best and brightest remaining among them, 1,000 in number, to start in a new galaxy, away from the troubles and desolation now long past.

The first harvest had been brutal, no sapient species had been spared, all had been processed, formed into the Reaper the organics had known as 'Harbinger', and his mind transplanted to the Citadel upon its completion. Several generations passed before Genesis was built, allowing them to speed the reseeding process and accelerate the cycle.

Now, Silence, the last of the first of his kind, was all that remained of his legacy, the twisted experiment that had produced a galaxy of genocide millions of times over. He had been born among the stars, now he drifted among them, fated to end in their cold gaze.

* * *

Shepard collapsed back into the chair adjacent to Joker as the last of the Reaper fleet tore itself apart in a fiery purple haze.

"It's over," he breathed, his eyes moist. "It's finally over."

Tali squeezed his hand. "You all right?"

The Commander offered her a weak smile. "I'll be fine, but, I think I'll want to sleep in tomorrow."

* * *

Revision Note:

**As intended, this chapter received the largest increase in material, (8 words shy of 3K words added (NET)!) along with quite a few tweaks and changes. Giving the Reapers a trump card hopefully enhanced the feeling of "Wow, the GDF is ROYALLY screwed" but that remains to be seen (Lemme know if it worked.) Incredibly extra special thanks to everyone who beta'd this chapter: Demented Assassin and TheRockinBean especially. You guys helped me polish it until it shined! With the final episode's revision, I'll be adding a chapter that I originally wrote as an epilogue but wasn't satisfied with. Thanks again to all of you for your readership and comments!**

* * *

Original Author's Note:

**The core was a solution I hit upon roughly halfway through writing the story. I wanted to find a plausible means by which victory could be achieved, while still having the Reapers feel like an overwhelming force up to the end. Upon revision I'll be darkening the previous chapters somewhat, probably making the GDF suffer heavier losses as well as detailing the harvesting efforts.**

**I went through all kinds of ideas, things ranging from Shepard interfacing with Harbinger (a'la overlord), to having Haestrom's sun go nova, destroying the Reaper fleet. In the end, I settled with the core, deciding if felt the most satisfying and dramatic. **

**The singularity at the end is not expected to be believable per se. If it came across as ridiculous, so be it. I really wanted an epic finish to the battle and nothing else that I tried had quite the same effect. Found a song that fits perfectly with the singularity too, picture the first 30 seconds as Shepard charging the singularity and the rest is the attack wrecking the Collectors.**

**w****ww(.)youtube(.)com/watch?v=8CiOpPb9vs&feature=related**

**I'd meant to have the control core discovery in the previous chapter, but that would have resulted in it being a good 2,000 words longer than chapter 33. That would have been a tad excessive. Plus, I would have had to add a lot of fluff to this chapter. Not an option. The last chapters of the story will detail just what's left of the galactic community, develop Tali and Shep's relationship, and hopefully end with some (as Tairis [Deamhan]calls it) "industrial strength d'aaaw".**


	54. Ep 11: Ch 1: Aftermath

**Episode 11: After the Storm**

**Chapter 53: Aftermath**

* * *

Garrus, Wrex, Shepard and Tali stood on the Normandy's port observation deck, staring out at their handiwork. They all bore scars from the battle, some physical, most mental. Tali could still see the young quarian male charging her with a pistol, only to be skewered mid-leap. Wrex had lost most of his warriors. Garrus kept picturing all of the innocents they'd been forced to kill.

"After all of this, you still believe in a god?" The turian indicated the Citadel's smoldering remains, surrounded by the warped husks of Reaper dreadnaughts and destroyers. "How do you reconcile this? Why would a merciful God allow these people to die?"

The Commander let his eyes follow the long, twisted strips of metal floating in the widow nebula as he mulled over the ex-vigilante's query.

"If anything, my faith is stronger now than it was when this whole Reaper mess began. We _conquered_ something we had no business _surviving_." Shepard's reply was quiet and confident. "I can't begin to remember how many people have asked me why He chooses to save some and not others. The answer is simple. He isn't _obligated_ to save _anyone_. The real question is: why does he choose to save any at all? He's being merciful by allowing us to make our own decisions and still providing a way to be reconciled to Him.

"Besides, look at what we've been through. There's _no_ way we could have done this without _some_ help."

Garrus tilted his head in thought, weighing his friend's words. Tali smiled beneath her mask. As usual, Shepard was right.

The massive alien next to them straightened. "And _that_ is why krogan aren't among the galaxy's philosophers."

* * *

The Reapers were defeated, but the damage they had wreaked upon the galaxy was truly staggering. Almost half of the galactic community had been exterminated in the archaic fleet's genocidal campaign.

Many of the major non-human population centers had emerged largely unscathed, thanks in large part to the falsified data the Reapers had been fed through the Citadel. Palaven, Thessia, Sur'Kesh and Illium were the most carefully hidden worlds. During the conflict, ship movements in and out of their respective systems were severely limited, forcing travelers and refugees to more remote locales.

Despite this, several worlds had been harvested or altogether wiped clean. Omega, the asteroid turned space station was now a smoldering shell, colossal sections of its framework had been shorn off as the Reapers had passed through the Sahrabarik system. Hundreds of colonies had fallen to the ancient ships, the subsequent loss of life numbered in the tens of billions.

Earth itself had suffered the most horrific losses. Nearly half of the planet's 11.2 billion people had been exterminated or harvested during the battle for Sol. Hundreds of Millions of refugees had escaped from the planet and returned to find that their homes had been either ransacked by looters or obliterated in the conflict.

Indoctrinated sleeper agents were a significant problem. Without a Reaper to guide them, the affected individuals often went mad, sometimes going so far as to attack civilians and military personnel alike without reason. Several weeks of careful inspections eventually rooted out the more docile individuals and got them to treatment facilities.

Rebuilding was a truly monstrous challenge. Efforts at repairs were hampered by the loss of manpower. This coupled with the destruction of production facilities served to strain resources almost to the point of starvation in some systems and past it in others. Even the sparsely populated Caleston had suffered in the Reapers' assault. Several of the surviving Prothean Titan shipyards were mothballed for resources, their remainder were repurposed to create aid vessels.

Transportation networks became clogged as the need for basic supplies in key systems grew. With the Citadel destroyed, the mass relays took several minutes to spin up as their F.o.F. and transit controls had to be directed by VI subroutines. The resulting lethargy caused frequent pile-ups. Trade routes that usually took a matter of hours now spanned days. Communication between systems had also suffered.

The extranet databases had been housed on the Citadel, and while their backups were complete, the storage sites for the information were scattered throughout various systems. Even after deploying additional comm buoys, the average time between sending and receiving a message had increased by almost 12 seconds, an eternity in long distance conversations.

Military and government communications were affected as well, though not as severely. The increase in message transit across such secured channels had only grown by two to three seconds on average, which, while not nearly as sluggish as civilian messages, was still a significant inconvenience.

Much of the GDF was being mothballed to aid in the construction of the geth dyson sphere, which had received new attention upon the AI race's most recent offer. With the destruction of the Citadel, the galactic community at large was without a central seat for its government. Legion had first proposed the idea to Shepard after the subject came up in their most recent discussion.

"_We were apprehensive about joining with organics, even against the old machines. Most of them feared us, many still do. Fear often leads to unpredictable, sometimes violent actions. Now that our races have built trust, we see another opportunity for a mutually beneficial arrangement." The AI waited for Shepard's response._

"_And that would be?"_

"_We are prepared to offer the inner and outer surfaces of the dyson project as a building site for a new Citadel analogue. The inhabitants would perform maintenance on the station; we in turn would assist in running the construct."_

* * *

Despite having dealt with the Reaper threat, morale was at a low system-wide. Fighting a galaxy-crushing super-fleet seemed to have had a draining effect on the units that had been in the field. The Normandy's victory cruise was meant to boost morale among the galactic community's inhabitants, and, while successful in that respect, it had the opposite influence on the Normandy's crew.

They were tired, burned out, and generally sick of the over exuberance of their adoring 'fans' and well-wishers. Every time they stopped at a planet to parade around the various monuments and honors, Shepard would return to the ship looking about as happy as a sleepless krogan with a varren up his but. During each tour, he'd give the locals a broad smile, wave his hands and generally be the picture of cordiality.

In truth, the soon to be promoted Commander hated all of the attention. Tali felt similarly, but tried, like her husband, to keep the feelings from surfacing- without total success; John had seen straight through the quarian's efforts.

"_You don't have to come along every time I step out of the ship, Tali. Get some rest, you've earned it."_

"_I'm your wife, John, and I won't stand for anyone saying that I don't support you. I go where you go."_

"_Anyone who says that you're unsupportive is an idiot, plain and simple. I know you want to be by my side, and the feeling is mutual, but there's no point in both of us getting burned out."_

Despite the Commander's words, Tali still insisted on accompanying him. Today they were slated to visit Elysium, the primarily human colony that Shepard had saved from an organized batarian offensive known as the Skyllian blitz several years back at the start of his military career. While the Spectre's face was now well known across the galaxy, it was especially quickly recognized here.

The planet's capitol city of the same name had a large open square with a twenty foot tall statue of the man standing in the center.. Shepard caught sight of the monument as the Normandy pulled into dock and rolled his eyes. _He was a soldier, he'd done his duty, and while it was nice to know that his work had not gone unnoticed, he was not pleased with the demigod status in which the galaxy now seemed to view him._

xXx

Shepard pulled the itchy collar of his dress uniform away from his neck, desperate to get some relief from the incessant irritation. Tali noticed the human's discomfort and gently rested a hand on his wrist. Shepard offered her a weak smile and took her hand.

The airlock opened to what was now a familiar sight. Throngs of fans and well wishers crowded around the barricaded docking zone; each eager to catch a glimpse of the Hero of the Citadel. Armed soldiers kept a constant vigil around the starship, their eyes incessantly scanning the crowds for any sign of trouble.

Shepard gave Tali and almost imperceptible squeeze and they stepped onto the boarding ramp. The Commander almost closed his eyes in exasperation as the civilians erupted into a thunderous bout of applause. "Three more worlds," he whispered. "Just three more worlds."

* * *

Earth was the last stop in the Normandy's victory tour. Thanks in no small part to Admiral Stephen Hackett, Shepard had convinced the authorities to withhold announcement of his arrival until the day after he was scheduled to show up. Now that the day for his promotion (and speech) had finally arrived, Shepard was once again forced to don his hated dress uniform and address yet another crowd.

A shiver gripped the Commander as an uncharacteristically frigid breeze blew from the planet's southern reaches. The cold seeped into his skin, heightening the irritation of the synthetic wool around his neck. He pulled his military issue bill-cap down to shade his face from the crowds; the headpiece looking somewhat odd in contrast to the black outfit he wore. Shepard eyed his wife's environment suit with a mixture of envy and admiration as they descended the ramp.

"Got room in there for two?"

Tali grinned. "Afraid not." She caught the Commander's hidden meaning a moment later. "But, if you're suggesting an activity for when we go back to our cabin…"

Truthfully, Shepard had meant to suggest exactly that after their return to the Normandy. He gave her a slight squeeze around the waist.

The couple advanced through customs, followed closely by Garrus and Grunt, their de facto body guards. Thanks to the Commander's Spectre status, the group was able to pass through with minimal examination, though John did feel that the guard captain spent a little too long checking his wife.

A few minutes' walk brought them to the transport terminal, a bustling hub of speeders and trams. Grunt stood a good two feet higher than almost anyone else at the terminal, inspiring an air of deference and awe around the group. Shepard flashed his credentials to one of the tram operators and the man waved the group through, well aware of the Spectre's identity, but unwilling to invoke the man's ire by identifying him to the crowds.

xXx

The promotion ceremony started mere hours after the group arrived at their destination. Tali, Garrus and Grunt were forced to watch from the crowd, despite Shepard's vehement protests.

Tali moved a few feet away from the turian and the krogan when the time for her husband's speech came. The majority of the men in the crowd were more than happy to step aside for the shapely quarian, but most of the women were markedly less amicable.

"Hey! Quarian!" One of the more… …well endowed brunettes in the crowd shoved her. "Eyes off the merchandise! Soon's he's done up there, he's mine." The woman sported an outfit that immediately reminded Tali of Miranda, but the similarity was broken by a familiar tattoo on her neck. _Blue suns._.

The quarian's omni-tool pulsed once, flaring with an orange glow, then faded off as she thought better of it. "I'll thank you not to refer to my husband like that."

The brunette offered a look of mock surprise. "Your _husband?_" She broke into a fit of laughter. "Keep dreamin' hon, he ain't nobody's but mine."

Tali was ready to draw her knife then and there, but decided that it wasn't worth the effort. _She'd let John set the record straight._

xXx

As soon as the ceremony was over, Tali began to weave her way over to the stairs of the platform. Armed guards were desperately trying to force back the masses that tousled to get closer to the famed hero. The brunette was waiting just out of the soldiers' reach, biding her time. Shepard's approach caused another outburst of applause near the quarian.

Tali could see the Commander's eyes searching for her in the crowd. She stuck her arm up, but the gesture was lost in a forest of hands. She managed to catch sight of the brunette, mere feet from him. A quick push put the woman directly in Shepard's path. Tali couldn't distinguish exactly what was said, but it was clear that the man wanted nothing to do with the ex-merc.

A few more moments passed before Shepard managed to reach his wife, accompanied on either side by Garrus and grunt. Tali looked back and caught a glimpse of the stunned brunette. The quarian allowed herself a smug grin. _Told you he was spoken for._

* * *

Revision note:

**The new second half of this chapter was originally written for a chapter that I started but never finished. It's still not quite what I want it to be, but I figured it's passable enough for now.**

* * *

Original Author's Note:

**The final section of the story was actually the first serious fanfic I ever wrote, in fact, it's what started me on Haestrom and, eventually, Awakening. Originally, Shepard's reply to Tali's 'what have I given you' question was a simple "you gave me you". As you can see, I expanded it rather significantly.**

**I plan to go back through the entirety of the story and rework any sections that need it (after two week's time). For those loyal few who made it to the end, thank you. Your support was key. It's been a long, tough ride, but a fun one. Many thanks to all of you for your support, feedback, and honesty.**


	55. Ep 11: Ch 2: Awakening

**Chapter 54: Awakening**

* * *

The ancient quarian station of Sul'Kut hung in low geosynchronous orbit over Rannoch's war-scarred surface. Shepard's pulse had involuntarily spiked at the sight of the slate gray construct. Every curve and panel looked identical to the Heretic station that he, Tali and Legion had boarded to eliminate the Reaper-crafted virus. As the Kodiak neared the platform's docking complex, The Commander caught sight of quarian script along one of the cargo doors. Legion caught sight of the writing and its head jerked back as if it had been struck. Tali also saw the lettering, but her reaction was a fit of laughter that caught Shepard's attention.

Before the human could front the question as to what she found so funny, Legion began its own inquiry. "We do not understand why a typographical error is humorous in this context, Creator Tali'Zorah."

"It's… complicated Legion." Her reply came somewhat breathlessly.

"We possess ample facilities to process complex concepts. If you do not desire to tell us, please state so simply."

Tali leaned over to her husband and whispered something in his ear. Shepard grinned and barely suppressed a laugh himself. "It's personal Legion. Just let it go."

The geth platform shrugged, an expression it had picked up while aboard the Normandy, and resumed its silent contemplation.

* * *

Tali pulled the hood of her new outfit up over her head. She paused, brushing the holed surfaces that acted as her ears. _It was something she had once been apprehensive about whenever she removed her helmet in front of Shepard. The fact that he embraced the differences between them was yet another example of how much he truly cared for her._

The quarian turned to examine herself in the full length mirror. _It had taken a relative eternity, but Kasumi had come through in fantastic style._ The garment was form fitting above the waist and comprised of a long, flowing piece of fabric below the belt. _Kasumi had called it a dress, but there were a few key differences from the standard human arraignment._ Like the cloths worn by most quarians on their enviro-suits, the garment boasted a hood, cut to form a smooth curve on the head without an unseemly point in the back. Unlike traditional quarian attire, however, the outfit included a detachable piece of material worn across the face that only allowed the wearer's eyes and forehead to be seen, a nod to the high value placed on privacy among the fleet.

A subtle beep sounded on the clean room's airlock and Shepard's voice came through over the comm. "May I come in yet?"

Tali took a deep breath, smoothed a few nonexistent wrinkles in her dress, and pressed the "unlock" button for the decon chamber. Shepard stepped in, and found his eyes trailing across the white fabric of her dress. Faint gold swirls adorned the sleeves and hood, the only decorations on the woman's outfit besides the three thin straps and gold neckbands that she usually wore on her suit.

Shepard's green eyes locked on the pale silver blue irises of below the hood. He could tell she was smiling.

"You look absolutely angelic."

Tali looked down for a moment, then back up. "Thank you…" She paused, simply staring at him. "Are you ready?"

"The shuttle's all fired up. I'm ready when you are… Sheil'alta."

Tali's eyes sparkled as she walked up to him. Her eyes closed as she laced her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder. "This means more to me than you sill ever know, Ne'Bahnté."

* * *

Rannoch's surface was a strange mixture of dirt, rubble, and plant life. Jagged scars still coursed through the ground, marks left by the high yield anti-matter weapons used during the twilight years of the Geth Rebellion. Jagged, crystalline spikes pierced the rock along the edges of each scar, a testament to the unpredictable nature of such destructive ordnance.

The quarian and human slowly picked along the uneven ground, still littered with rubble despite the Geth's three century cleanup project. Nearly two years had passed since the Reaper Fleets had been destroyed in the Citadel nebula. Roughly half of the Galactic community perished in the Reapers' genocidal campaign. A one Commander Jonathan David Shepard had been largely responsible for the narrow victory, and for the quarians' gradual return to their home-world.

The quarian's thoughts returned to the planet on which she now stood. She saw a small drift of dust on the field before the breeze reached them. The air licked through the veil draped around her neck, sending goose bumps along the length of her spine. _To_**feel**_, to_**smell**_the earthy must in the wind…_ Tali's mind exploded.

For the first time, she could walk the surface of her home-world, unbound by the tyranny of an environment suit. For the first time, she could feel the sun on her face as it rose to meet the clouds. For the first time, she could hear the ocean as it lapped along the shore, un-amplified or sorted by speakers in a helmet. For the first time in her life, Tali was truly free.

The breeze passed through a nearby tree and she caught herself holding her breath as she listened to the quiet applause of the leaves.

The human put a hand on her shoulder, interrupting her reverie. He made a small gesture at the earth not fifty feet in front of them. Tali gasped. A field of short, green-brown grass shivered in the light wind. Small, orange flowers dotted the landscape, each fluttering on glass-green stems.

Tali detached the veil across her face and knelt down, gingerly plucking one of the small plants from the soil. The quarian marveled at the three-petaled flower, relishing the silky sensation of the soft orange tissue brushing her hand. She lifted it up to her nose and inhaled deeply. The pungent aroma of what Shepard had called "apples" tickled her senses. Soft raindrops began to land on the couple and the surrounding countryside. Tali smiled and tilted her head back as she relished the feel of the droplets hit her face.

The young woman opened her eyes, breathing deeply. She threw her arms around the man who had made this possible. "Thank you, Keelah, John, Thank you!" She looked directly at the polarized faceplate of her companion. With the rain, she couldn't be sure, but it looked like water was dripping along the _inner_ surface of his visor.

"John, are... are you okay?" Tali had only seen the human shed tears a few times before, once, after Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams died on Virmire, and again when Thane had passed. "John, what-"

Shepard held up his hand. "Do you remember what you said to me back on the Alarei? Seven years ago?"

Tali paused, "I- I said a lot of things..." her voice trailed off as she vaguely remembered the events that changed her life for the umpteenth time. Shepard tapped a few keys on his omni-tool and Tali recognized her own voice coming from the speaker.

"...A single _kiss_ could put me in the hospital! Every time you touch a flower with bare fingers, inhale its fragrance without air-filters, you're doing something I can't!"

"Keelah..." she whispered. "You kept that!"

"Tali, you've- given me so much-… more than I could ever hope to repay." Tali thought she heard his voice choking. "To be able to-… to give you this..." His voice trailed off.

Tali felt tears of her own begin to snake down her cheeks, already dampened by the rain. "John, you stopped the _Reapers_, gave us our home-world, brokered peace with the Geth! The _GETH!_ Because of you-" She choked. "_My_ people are _FREE_!" The tears flowed freely as her throat began to knot. "You saw me for a person _despite_ the mask, _despite_ the suit. You treated me as an equal and chose to _pursue_ me! What did I ever give you that even _begins_ t-" Shepard put a gloved hand to her lips.

"Ever since I told you I loved you, you've always reminded me how much it means to you that I saw past your suit, past your mask."

"John…"

He shook his head. "I'm not finished. When my team was killed on Elysium, it broke me. For the longest time, I thought that if I let anyone see my emotions, I was letting them down, that if I was anything other than the perfect soldier, the stalwart warrior, I was dishonoring them.

"So, I put on my own mask, the strong, unshakable commander who could face anything, but deep down, I was just as fractured, just as broken as any other soldier. God brought you into my life to give me healing. You saw through _my_ mask, through the fame, the physique, past the façade.

"You saw my hopes, my dreams, my fears, my faults, my weaknesses. You saw the flawed and broken man that I was, and you loved me anyways. You touched the depths of my soul, and healed me."

Shepard now held his hands on her waist, at the same time sensing her hands on the sides of his helmet. Tali stared longingly at where his eyes would be. _To hell with the consequences, they could sterilize the area later!_

John heard the soft hiss of his faceplate being detached from the helmet.

Tali gazed into her husband's verdant eyes, still glistening with unspent tears along the lower lids, matching the soft rain that fell around them.

"I love you." Shepard felt the soft, sweet press of her lips on his.

"I love you too."

* * *

Author's note:

**The title of the story had no meaning originally; I let the readers try to guess and that was that. Now, "Awakening" has been given a very specific meaning: it refers to Shepard's re-realization that he is not in control; that he relies on a higher power. The chapter was originally going to be titled "Rannoch", but I decided to go with the story's title for the purpose of solidifying the story's theme/message. **

**I want to offer an extra special heartfelt thanks to everyone who read, commented and/or generally encouraged me along the way.**

**

* * *

Special thanks to:**

Demented Assassin – For: Encouragement, proofreading, revision help, support and general impetus to keep me going. Also for writing "Pilgrimage"

Miraza - For: Encouragement, help w/ revision, esp. Chs 27, 35 and 42, writing "Honeymoon" (Chs 6 & 7 specifically)

MothBanquet – For: Encouragement, Major help w/ revision, writing "Dark Rendition"

DarkDanny; Sp4RkyMcG7; –Support, Encourangement, reviews, expansion Ideas

Dyslecksec – Honesty, Encourangement, reviews

Support, Encouragement:

_Omilophile;_

_Hcjung; _

_Blackmailer26; _

_Dio|is|Satan; _

_Justice snake;_

_Matt561;_

_Mysterious44;_

_Tali0Zorah;_

_CommanderAfro;_

_Batsimba; _

_MassRelay101_

Andrio - For: Proofreading, writing "Adamo"

Harold_Genhi – For: Binding the hands idea, plus support/encouragement

Kudara - For: Encouragement, reviews, honesty

o The JUICE o – For: Reviews, comments

Paco23 – For: Helping me realize the need for development in a specific aspect of the story.

RedTracer7/RaxusLives – For: Encouragement, comments, persuading me not to scrap Ch 16, writing "Beneath the Veil"

"Rocky" Marcus (Eng comp I & II) – For the laughs and helping me hone my technique

Ryvaken; LiaraTsoni72049 – For: Pointing out rough edges and believability issues

Tairis Deamhan – Writing "Razor's Edge"; Comments

TheRockinBean; Steve Kennedy; – For: Encouragement, comments and willingness to read sections through multiple iterations, willingness to read despite unfamiliarity w/ Mass Effect

My Folks:

Gary and Sue – For supporting me, putting up with me and encouraging me even when I stayed up past 3 in the morning to write.

And literally dozens of others whose names elude me.

**Thanks to everyone who read. Thank you all!**

**

* * *

At roughly 333 pages and well over 120 thousand words in length, (not including the author's notes) Awakening is by far the largest project of any kind that I have ever successfully undertaken. It has consumed nearly five months of my waking (and some might argue non-waking) hours, and has been a new and frightening, but overall marvelous experience. I thank everyone who was a part of the process, however small or significant your role may have been, and above all I thank my Creator, without whom I could not have crafted even the first word of this narrative.**


	56. Revisions

Chapter 1 Guardian: wds 2,348 - 4,264 (+1,916)

Expanded opening scene

Slight rewords throughout

Tali and Shepard Bedroom Flashback revised

Expanded Med-bay scene

* * *

Chapter 2 Normandy: wds 1,290 - 2,442 (+1,152)

Slight rewords throughout

Added discussion between Shepard and Chambers, Character development

Rewrote Garrus' segment, receives message from Omega instead of sends it

* * *

Chapter 3 Omega: wds 1,542 - 2,391 (+849)

Slight rewords throughout

Expanded segment concerning Geth back-story

Reworked discussion w/ Aria

* * *

Chapter 4 Old Ties: wds 1,404 - 1,987 (+583)

Slight rewords throughout

Added more descriptions

Added flashbacks and expanded the exploration of Garrus' former hideout

Rewrote Seraph as a more… familiar character

* * *

Chapter 5 Seraph: wds 1,435 - 2,437 (+1,002)

Near total rewrite of fight scene

Revised med bay scene (partial)

* * *

Chapter 6 Correspondence: wds 1,338 - 2,396 (+1,058)

Minor additions

Added explanation for Retro-Virus' function

Expanded Tali's letter to Shala

* * *

Chapter 7 Nor Hell a Fury…: wds 1,835 - 2,560 (+752)

Slight rewords throughout

Added more descriptions

Moderately lengthened the knife fight

Added the storm and rewrote the ending of the chapter

* * *

Chapter 8 Downpour: NEW Chapter : wds 2,048

Goes into greater character exposition for Tali and Shepard

* * *

Chapter 9 The Contract: wds 1,435 - 1,778 (+343)

Minor rewords throughout

Revised the engine room discussion

Added brief scene with Garrus contemplating the losses of the crew

* * *

Chapter 10 Kahje: wds 1,719 - 2,639 (+920)

Expanded Myrik's inner dialogue

Minor additions and rewords throughout

* * *

Chapter 11 EDI: wds 1,734 - 2,135 (+401)

Minor additions and rewords throughout

* * *

Chapter 12 Resurgence: wds 1,720 - 2,648 (+928)

Minor additions and rewords throughout

Mild expansion of Husk fight

* * *

Chapter 13 Intervention: wds 1,881 - 2,330 (+449)

Minor additions and rewords throughout

Added ambush against Collector infantry

* * *

Chapter 14 Catharsis: wds 1,295 - 2,235 (+940)

Minor additions and rewords throughout

Added discussion between Tali/Kasumi

* * *

Chapter 15 Admiral: wds 1,612 - 2,176 (+564)

Minor additions, including Tali's discussion w/ Yeoman Chambers and internal dialogue.

* * *

Chapter 16 Brigand: wds 1,694 - 2,455 (+761)

Minor additions and rewords throughout

Explained Kepral's syndrome in minor detail, (built upon explanation in the codex)

Expanded the warehouse search and Thane v. Veraidian fight.

* * *

Chapter 17 Ancient Khelish: wds 1,285 - 2,024 (+739)

Rewords and additions throughout

Revised opening scene to flesh out Shepard's character a bit more

Expanded the proposal scene: _Thank. __You__. __**Miraza**__**!**_

* * *

Chapter 18 Status Quo: NEW chapter wds 1,661

Story pacing chapter

* * *

Chapter 19 Catalyst: wds 1,337 - 1,492 (+155)

Minor rewords and insertions

* * *

Chapter 20 Vanguard: wds 1,898 - 3,036 (+1,138)

Minor additions and rewords throughout

Partial revision of the fight scene

Expanded opening scene

Expanded details about Surviving salarians

* * *

Chapter 21 Recollection: wds 1,447 - 1,740 (+293)

Minor additions and rewords throughout

Revised the trial scene

* * *

Chapter 22 The Council: wds 1,475 - 1,704 (+229)

Minor additions and rewords throughout

* * *

Chapter 23 Intrigue: wds 1,382 - 1,976 (+594)

Minor edits, additions and revisions throughout

Expanded opening scene

Rewrote Thane's internal dialog

* * *

Chapter 24 The Presidium: wds 1,773 - 2,426 (+653)

Minor additions and rewords throughout

Expanded ambush scene

* * *

Chapter 25 Na'Vera: wds 1,721 - 1,969 (+248)

Minor additions and rewords throughout

Expanded Thane's internal dialog

* * *

Chapter 26 To Stand on Ceremony: wds 2,147 - 3,264 (+1,117)

Minor additions and rewords throughout

Added "Confession scene" to the beginning

Expanded the after-ceremony section

* * *

Chapter 27 Shel'lahia Bahnté: wds 1,594 - 1,862 (+268 net)

Minor additions and rewords throughout

Rewrote opening scene to avoid unnecessary contradiction of M-E cannon

Reworked the 'undressing' to make Shepard seem less the bystander

* * *

Chapter 27.5 Shel'lahia Bahnté Explicit: wds 2,665 - 2,935 (+270 net)

Minor additions and rewords throughout

Revised Shepard to seem less like he'd almost talked himself out of it, but kept his concern for Tali's wellbeing

Refocused the chapter on the character's emotions (less focused on the physical aspect)

* * *

Chapter 28 Alliance: wds 1,753 - 2,236 (+483)

Expanded the opening scene

Revised the shower scene

Expanded the conversation with Legion

* * *

Chapter 29 Resolve: wds 2,005 - 2,972 (+967)

Slightly lengthened the Garrus/Tali intermissions

Expanded the opening scene and warehouse descriptions

Substantial additions to the pre-fight dialogue and the fight proper

* * *

Chapter 30 Progress: wds 1,687 - 2,420 (+723 (1,398 new))

Added Garrus Intermission segment at beginning of chapter

Expanded original opening scene

Near total rewrite of GDF scene

Added Shepard and Tali sparring

* * *

Chapter 31 Reflection: wds 1,642 - 1,676 (+34 net)

Minor rewords and additions throughout

* * *

Chapter 32 Negotiations: wds 1,576 - 1,738 (+162)

Minor rewords and additions throughout

* * *

Chapter 33 Justicar: wds 1,995 - 2,066 (+71 net (829 new))

Deleted X's death scene, set buildup to next chapter in its place

Moderate additions to Tali/Shep argument

Added description of the Carthena

Moved conclusion of argument into this chapter.

* * *

Chapter 34 Spectre: NEW Chapter : 2,003 wds

Revision of [Redacted's] death

* * *

Added net 4,440 words, 7,271 new

* * *

Chapter 35 Sigma 23: wds 1,655 - 2,122 (+467) (+1,236 new)

Revised the Impetus/discovery of Sigma 23

Substantial additions and rewords throughout

* * *

Chapter 36 Assault: wds 2,904 - 3,968 (+1,064)

Minor revision of Tali's knife scene

Moderate additions and rewords throughout

Added Tragfalgar's perspective on the assault (from the outside)

Added to Shepard's team's progress

* * *

Chapter 37 Dog of Hades: wds 2,113 - 2,556 (+443) (+901 new)

Added the quarian squad v Cerberus ops

Reworked Shepard & co singularity

* * *

Chapter 38 The Needs of the Many: wds 2,107 - 2,337 (+230) (+483 new)

Added to the Harbinger fight

Revised the ending of the chapter.

* * *

Chapter 39 Reunion: wds 1,450 - 2,109 (+659)

Minimal additions and rewords throughout

Added brief snippet with Synn mulling over his past

Moved the ending of Khetros Naiva to this chapter and revised it somewhat

* * *

Chapter 40 Unity: wds 1,653 - 2,498 (+845) (1,064 new)

Revised opening scene

Revised the Conclave meeting

Added Legion's perspective on the quarian/geth alliance dilemma

Revised the chess scene: added Legion/Tali/Shepard discussion

* * *

Chapter 41 Dyson Sphere: wds 1,581 - 2,116 (+535)

Moderate additions and rewords throughout

Expaned EDI's scene

Reworked the ending scene

* * *

Chapter 42 Khetros Naiva!: wds 2,087 - 2,709 (+622) (+1,223 new)

Significant additions and revisions throughout

Revised and expanded opening and second scenes

Rewrote the majority of the fight

Revised X's death to bring it more in line with Shepard's persona

Rewrote ending scene

* * *

Chapter 43 Reprieve: wds 1,311 -1,994 (+683)

Minor additions and rewords throughout

Added dialogue between Shepard and Grunt

* * *

Chapter 44 Shore Leave: wds 1,930 - 2,338 (+408)

Minor additions and rewords throughout

Moderate expansion of end scene.

* * *

Chapter 45 Arrival: wds 1,935 - 2,011 (+1,374 new)

Near total rewrite of the chapter, preserved the opening scene with moderate revision

* * *

Chapter 46 Invasion: NEW Chapter: 1,815 wds

Details the beginning of the conflict proper

* * *

Chapter 47 Genocide: NEW Chapter: 2,091 wds

Harvesting efforts and the efforts to save Earth

* * *

Chapter 48 Synn: wds 2,008 - 2,494 (+ 486) (+1,132 new)

Substantial revisions and rewords throughout

Deleted the sections concerning Reaver and refocused the chapter on the titular character

* * *

Chapter 49 Pathogen: wds 2,255 - 2,586 (+331) (+1,066 new)

Moderate additions and rewords throughout

* * *

Chapter 50 One Good Turn…: wds 1,610 - 2,438 (+828) (+1,081 new)

Significant additions, rewrites, revisions and rewords throughout

Enhanced the significance of the Reapers gaining control of the Citadel relay.

* * *

Chapter 51 Stronghold: wds 2,534 - 2,967 (+433) (+805 New)

Moderate revisions and additions throughout

Added Reapers' trump card

* * *

Chapter 52 Revelation: wds 3,154 - 6,148 (+2,992) (+3,901 New)

Significant expansions and additions to and of combat sequences

Rewrote the Singularity scene

Rewrote section on "Silence" and the Reapers' origins

Expanded plot details (cannot explain without spoiling)

* * *

Chapter 53 Aftermath: wds 2,296 - 2,180 (-116) (+1,453 New)

Moved the second half to the next chapter

Moderate additions and rewords throughout

* * *

Chapter 54 Awakening: NEW Chapter: 1,605 wds

Tali's new Veil (finally)

Moved the ending of 'Aftermath' here


End file.
